Recovery
by Scathe
Summary: Shego challenged Kim to one final battle, no distractions or plots. But it didn't go as planned and now Kim is hurt, leaving Shego to take care of her and bring her back to health. Can they overcome their differences and bond? KiGo.
1. Conflict of Thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people in this story or in this universe. All credit to their existence goes to whoever made them.

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><p>Kim felt pain as she flew back against the wall. "How did it come to this?" She wondered, feeling her body topple down onto the floor, a sharp gasp of pain escaping her lungs. Normally when her and Shego fought, she would win, or something would happen that would cause the two to become distracted and they would grudgingly call it a draw only to leave to deal with their respective problems. But this time was different; this time there was something wrong, something else that she had never seen before: Shego was the better fighter. With no distractions and nothing to stop them, it was like Shego was a totally different person.<p>

The world was turning dark, the sound fading into nothing as Kim lay on the floor in excruciating pain. That's when she felt something fall on top of her, crushing her into the floor. She would have screamed, if the mere act of breathing didn't send pain like sharpened daggers through her chest. The most she managed was a loud gasp of pain before the world hazed over and blackened even more.

Kim's eyes closed slowly with the darkness, and her last thought was of Shego and even in the haze of pain, the thought shocked her.

"Now she'll never know how I feel."

And with that thought, Kim Possible slipped into unconsciousness.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Shego watched Kim fly backwards into the bookshelf hidden in the wall. It was like it all happened in slow motion. After she had kicked her arch foe in the chest, time seemed to slow down to a creeping movement, everything happening so slow that it seemed days went by when it was only a few moments. Shego watched Kim sail away from her, the sickening crunch of broken ribs seemingly echoing through the small room that Kim had deemed "The Ring" for their final match. Kim only had a few moments on the ground before the bookshelf toppled over on top of her, and Shego watched in awe, and in horror.

She had finally defeated Kim Possible, finally stopped the thorn in the collective side of the community of evil. Shego felt proud, powerful, excited and … guilty? No, that couldn't be, she was Shego, the greatest fighter of her family, Drakken's not so secret weapon, the strongest person in the evil world. So why did she feel guilty about hurting the person that should naturally be her enemy?

After the incident with the Lowardians, Shego had taken a much needed vacation. She had disappeared off even Drakken's radar just to find some peace and quiet, to get away without being disturbed by her idiot boss or even to be tracked by Kim. She just needed to get away, to relax, and to have some time to herself. But during all the time, one person kept creeping into her thoughts: Kim Possible.

Shego thought of all the times they had fought, all the times she had either lost or never gotten the chance to complete a duel with her arch-enemy. Shego thought of all the times that she had held back in their fights, all the times she had been outsmarted or even unprepared and even underestimated the girl, all of it had been her undoing. But what stung the most, through all the defeats and humiliations, was Kim's declaration of hatred towards her. Shego had never gotten over that, she had never truly understood it, and she had never been more hurt in her life than that moment.

But during her vacation, Shego had time to think, time to remember everything. If Kim hated Shego, why had they bothered to banter like old friends during fights, why had Kim never truly beaten her again even when she had the chance, it couldn't all be because Kim was "good". But the most puzzling of all, why had Kim actually forgiven and bonded with Shego after her behavior had been modified? Either Kim Possible was emotionally incapable of hatred, or there was something more going on, and Shego thought she had known the girl long enough to know that Kim knew exactly how to hate a person.

It had confused Shego forever, bothered her, and even annoyed her to the point where she lost sleep over the thoughts in her head. So, when Shego came back from her vacation, she had resolved to challenge Kim to a final duel, just the two of them. No holding back, no Drakken or Ron to interrupt or bother them, no schemes or plots, no tricks or traps, just a good old fashioned one on one fight. It had taken a while for Kim to reply back, or to even accept, but Shego was relentless with this, even hounding her at home and at school, always under the banner of peace.

Three months later Kim had met Shego at Senor Senior Senior's old house in the ocean, something Shego had conned out of him in a bet to see whether or not Junior would become a pop star in prison or not. And true to form, Kim showed up alone, honoring the deal that they had made. Shego led Kim into a room large enough for their acrobatic fighting styles to work well, an old study that had been converted into a training room by Shego over the months.

And so it led to this, Kim falling onto the ground, the bookshelf crushing her beneath it, and Shego feeling very conflicted about what had just happened. As Shego's foot came back to the ground, settling herself after her kick, she put on a cocky smile, something she did to hide her emotions from people, her hands on her hips.

"What's the matter Kimmie? I thought I said no holding back … seems to me like you're going easy."

She waited for the response, but there was no sharp tongued witticism that Kim was known for, no come back, and the bookshelf remained in place on top of Kim. A thought ram through Shego's mind in that moment, something dreadful, and something terrible. Shaking her head, Shego put her gaze back onto the bookshelf, her eyes softening just a bit.

"Kim?"

She waited again, and still there was nothing. The silence was growing disturbing and making Shego worry, a feeling she never knew she was capable of. Shego took a slow, cautious step towards the fallen bookcase, a multitude of emotions and thoughts running through her mind. Had she really succeeded where so many had failed before? Had Shego finally defeated, or better yet, killed Kim Possible? She felt glee, pleasure, excitement, relief, but worst of all … she felt pain. She had prepared for this moment for so long, had prepared herself for the day that she had defeated Kim Possible, but she never expected to feel such overwhelming pain.

Shego ran forward and slid down onto her knees, throwing the bookcase across the room. She ignored the splintering wood when it hit the far wall; all that mattered right now was Kim. Shego threw books left and right, to get them off of the red-haired heroine. Shego stared down at the motionless body of Kim Possible, buried beneath the books that had once occupied the shelf. Shego pulled off her gloves, letting them fall to the ground as she rolled Kim onto her back, gasping softly at the sight.

"Princess?"

Kim Possible was bleeding, a sight that Shego thought that she would never see. Her breathing was shallow and labored, air escaping her lips in short, wheezed breaths. Blood was flowing from Kim's nose, and some of the red liquid was trailing out of the corners of her mouth. Shego ran her bare hand along Kim's cheek, smiling softly, filled with concern now, every other thought forgotten. Kim was still alive, but she was in pain, that much Shego was sure of. Shaking the heroine gentle only brought about a loud groan of pain, and after that Shego resolved to just let her lay as still as possible. She had to get help, but who could she call? No one would believe the word of a villain, and Shego wasn't a doctor, she knew nothing about helping people, only hurting them. That's when it came to her.

Shego started to pat down Kim's pockets, searching for her beloved Kimmunicator. She found it in Kim's left pocket and turned it on, waiting for the answer at the other end, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she glanced down at Kim.

"You'll owe me two now, Princess."

The screen flashed on after a bit of static to show Wade on the other end, rubbing his eyes groggily as if he had just woken up.

"Hey Kim, how'd the fight with She-SHEGO?"

"Relax nerdlinger; I'd never use this if I didn't have a good reason. I need your help."

"Again? I told you last time that-"

"Just shut up and listen alright! Kim's hurt, I need you to get someone out here and fast."

"Alright, just give me a few minutes. Alright, I called Middleton Hospital; they're sending a team out now, fifteen minutes at most."

"Thanks Wade."

Shego turned off the Kimmunicator and let the device fall to the floor gently. Shifting a bit on the floor, Shego placed Kim's head on her lap and brushed some of her hair out of her face. Taking one of Kim's hands in both of hers, Shego leaned down and kissed Kim's lips softly, whispering gently to the young woman on the floor.

"I'll stay with you until you get better Kim. I promise."

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Just like Wade said, it took exactly fifteen minutes for the medical team to show up. They wrapped a neck brace around Kim's throat, lifted her up onto a gurney and wheeled her into the chopper. Shego stayed with her the whole time, watching the medical crew work on her supposed foe. She didn't understand why she stayed, it wasn't very villainy of her to stay with the woman that was supposed to be her arch-enemy and make sure that she got proper medical treatment. But at the moment, Shego just didn't care at all, all that mattered was that Kim woke up to see the next day and get better so that she could keep foiling plots all around the world.

When the medical chopper landed on top of Middleton General Hospital, Shego followed the crew into the building before they told her that she wasn't allowed into the room. She argued with the paramedics for a while before relenting and walking back up onto the roof. Standing on the helipad, Shego stared at the helicopter sitting unattended. It wouldn't take much to steal it and fly far from here, but she felt no desire to do that. Instead she felt angry, angry that she didn't get to stay with Kim. Shego could feel the familiar itch of her plasma about to burst from her hands, the need to give in to her frustration and go find a good fight somewhere, something to help her relieve the stress. But when she thought of doing that, the image of Kim laying on the floor under the book case, bleeding and broken, and the sound of her wheezing, and pained breath came into her head. She wasn't in the mood to do that to someone else, not today.

Turning back around and walking into the hospital again, she walked up to the nurses' station and asked for directions to Doctor Anne Possible. The nurse directed her to the third floor of the hospital, where the surgeries were done. Shego walked into the elevator and pressed the button, watching the doors close. Shego rode the elevator to the third floor alone and in silence, thinking over every emotion she had felt that day. Taking a deep breath, Shego steeled herself for what she was about to do.

The bell went off to announce the arrival onto the third floor and Shego stepped off the elevator, walking down one of the many corridors. The doctors and nurses on staff moved out of her way when she walked, afraid that she would snap and hurt one of them. She wasn't surprised, she was supposed to be evil after all, but she wouldn't hurt them. Shego wasn't the type of person to hurt an innocent without a reason. I mean sure, she was just thinking of fighting some poor bastard somewhere, but it wouldn't have been some helpless innocent at their day job.

Shego found the office she was looking for, the door wide open for people to move in and out as they pleased. Anne Possible sat behind her desk, looking through files and appointments, a slight frown on her face as she read silently. Shego leaned against the doorframe, watching for a moment before she finally knocked on the door. Anne looked up, a smile on her face the disappeared the moment she saw Shego standing there.

"What have you done to Kim?" Anne said, glaring death at Shego. Holding her hands up, Shego stepped into the room and closed the door, turning back to face Anne, who had moved around her desk and up right in front of Shego. Anne looked so much like Kim it was scary, but Shego couldn't think about that right now, not with Kim upstairs and unconscious. Shego opened her mouth to speak but before the words could come out, Anne slapped her across the face.

Shego's head jerked to the side, and she felt her hands curl into fists, her claws digging into her palms slightly before uncurling. The slap was uncalled for and made her angry, but the moment she actually saw what she looked like, she understood immediately. Her green fight suit was stained with bits of blood here and there, Kim's blood. Her hands were also covered with the red liquid from keeping Kim's face clean. It made her look as if she had just left a murder scene. Bringing her head back up, Shego stared into Anne's eyes for a moment before looking down at the ground and speaking slowly but clearly, explaining everything to the mother of her foe. Shego told her about the challenge, about the fight, about calling Wade and the ride to the hospital. She left out all the emotional turmoil and the small kiss she had given Kim; she didn't feel that it was worth mentioning.

Anne stood there in silence, listening to Shego explain everything to her, her arms crossed at her chest as she glared at her daughters arch-nemesis. When Shego was done talking, Anne just stood in silence for a moment, thinking everything over and weighing Shego's words and appearance. She had the look of a mother protecting her cub, something that made a shiver run down Shego's spine. She had only ever fought Kim, but something told her that where her daughter was concerned, Anne Possible would kill whoever tried to hurt Kim. And that scared Shego just a bit, because she believed with every fiber in her being that Anne was perfectly capable of it.

"She's on the fifth floor, the paramedics said she'd be ok … she just needs rest."

Anne only nodded before walking past Shego and opening the door, heading down the corridor towards the elevators. Shego stood in Anne's office for a moment longer before turning and following her down the corridor. The two women got onto the elevator together, riding it to the fifth floor in silence, the air between them thick with tension. The bell went off and the doors opened making Shego let out a breath of relief before getting off the elevator with Anne and walking down to Kim's room. Shego stood outside the door to the heroine's room for a while, watching Anne talk to the doctors and even checking Kim herself, before taking a seat outside of the room.

Running a blood stained hand through her black hair; Shego took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind and think of what to do next. Why had she called Wade? Why had she stayed with Kim? Why had she gone to talk to Anne? But the most pressing thought of all, why had she kissed Kim?

She thought she would feel revulsion at the memory, but instead she was filled with a slight feeling of happiness, of pleasure, like it was right. Shaking her head, Shego leaned back in the chair and groaned in frustration. She couldn't leave though; she made a promise to stay with Kim until she got better. A soft smirk crept across Shego's lips as her eyes opened to stare at the ceiling. There was only one thing to do, no matter how much she may imagine that she hated it. She would stay with Kim and help her get better. After all, Shego always kept her promises.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Two Weeks Later

Kim awoke to the sound of steady beeping and groaned with frustration, thinking it was the Kimmunicator going off again. Sometimes she felt that using the device as an alarm clock wasn't always the smartest move, but it was what she had and she worked with it. She tried to reach out to slap the device until it quieted down, but when she felt herself raise her arm, a sharp pain ran through side. Wincing, Kim lowered her arm back down, and that's when the memories came back: the challenge, the fight, and then blackness.

Kim tried to open her eyes, feeling her lids flutter softly as they opened slowly, only to close again at the intensely bright light above her making her groan.

"Is it some sick joke that they put the hospital lights right above a person's head?"

Her voice was hoarse and cracked from lack of use. Kim felt thirst, and hungry, and the overpowering need to have something more than hospital issue pudding. That's when it hit her, truly hit her. Kim Possible the invincible was in a hospital bed, and not for something minor like getting her tonsils removed. Rolling her head off to the side, Kim opened her eyes slowly, the darkness fading lightly through the haze of her eyelashes and eye lids to be greeted by all the well wishes of her friends and family.

Get well soon cards and balloons floated on a table off to the side, even a few gifts clearly from Wade like little floating monitors with flashing images and words floating across the screen. Sitting in the center of it all though was something that made Kim smile wide even in her half-awake state.

A limited edition Pandaroo sat in the middle of all the cards and balloons, a card in its arms as it stared at her. The words "Read Me" were written across the front of the card in neat writing that looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Kim's senses were slowly returning to her, and she really wished that they wouldn't come back. Well, maybe sight and hearing, the rest could leave her alone. She really didn't want to feel how much pain she was in. Her eyes adjusted to the light of the room slowly, and she could hear something that sounded like quiet breathing.

Turning her head to the other side, Kim gasped loudly. Shego was sitting in the chair on the right side of her bed, her head down and she appeared to be sleeping. Kim tried to sit up but that only made her pain even worse and she yelled out lightly in pain, making Shego stir and wake up. Kim immediately became worried. What was Shego doing here? Had she come to finish the job? That was low, even for Shego, but when Shego lifted her head up to see Kim staring at her and wide awake, Shego's face lit up in a wide smile.

"Hey there Princess, you get some good sleep?"


	2. Wake Up, Princess

Disclaimer: See the first chapter. Seriously, I don't own KP, if I did ... well, let's just say it would have been the weirdest cartoon ever.

AN: This is a KiGo fic, I swear. But in order to actually get to the KiGo goodness, I have to deal with Kim and Ron, so bare with me through the horridness that is their relationship.

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><p>Kim wanted to freak out. She wanted to panic, yell, scream, get up off the bed and get ready to fight. She wanted to be angry, or even scared, but she just didn't feel like that at all. Kim felt confused, and that was just the clearest emotion that was running through her. Well, confusion and what felt like happiness, and that confused her even more. Kim Possible was happy that Shego, her greatest enemy, was sitting next to her bed to greet her when she woke up, and not her boyfriend.<p>

"You know if you don't close your mouth soon, you'll swallow a fly Princess."

Shego's voice shocked Kim out of her thoughts, making her shake her head and close her open mouth. Kim reached up through the sharp pain and rubbed her forehead and her eyes, holding back the loud groan of pain that wanted to escape her. Her eyes were closed as she tried to think everything over, and tried to ignore the myriad of emotions running through her at this moment. That's when she felt Shego's bare hand on hers.

The touch made Kim blush softly as Shego pulled her hand away and started wiping Kim's face gently with a wet washcloth, concern in her eyes. Kim stared at Shego, dumbfounded and at a total loss for words. It was then that she realized she was still holding onto Shego's hand. Turning her head to the side a bit, Kim pulled her hand out of the older woman's grasp. Kim's pale green eyes leveled at Shego, trying to give her a death glare but only succeeding in making her arch-villain chuckle softly.

Shego pulled away from Kim and pulled her chair up closer to her bed, her smile gone as she met Kim's gaze. It was hard to keep staring at each other this long in silence, but they managed. Kim tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. Finally a question popped into her head and Kim had to ask.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry about everything."

They spoke at the same time, their voices drowning each other out. Shego let out a soft chuckle and leaned back in her chair, waving her hand at Kim, a silent indication for her to go first. Kim huffed and stared at Shego. She would have crossed her arms at her chest if the mere thought didn't make her wince. Instead, Kim just relaxed into the bed and rolled her head to the side to fully look at Shego.

"I said, what are you doing here?"

The room was silent for a moment as Kim stared at Shego, her expression softening. She should hate Shego with every fiber of her being, but she didn't. For some strange reason, Kim just couldn't summon up the hatred that she claimed to have. It made her frustrated, and confused. What the hell was wrong with her? Shego stole her prom date, even kissed him right in front of Kim! That was enough for anyone to hate Shego if no one knew her villainous track record. But Kim couldn't do it; she just couldn't hate the woman.

"Well … I made you a promise, and I keep my promises."

"And what promise was that? Kill me in my sleep?"

"Do you honestly think I would kill you in your sleep? C'mon Kimmie, you should know me better than that by now."

"I know you well enough Shego. I know you're EVIL, that's all that matters."

"Wow, I'm touched, you actually remembered enough about me to know I'm evil. What other obvious facts are wandering around up in that brain of yours?"

"What was your promise Shego? Come taunt me in the hospital about my defeat? Hound me at my school to tell me how I got hurt by someone I normally defeat? Make sure the whole world knows that Kim Possible was defeated by a henchman and put in the hospital?"

"Ok, One: I am not Drakken's henchman, lackey, sidekick, enforcer, hired help or any other variation of those words." Shego counted the titles off on her fingers, glaring at Kim as she spoke. "Two: if you truly look at me as a 'Henchman', then I would prefer you be politically correct and call me a Henchwoman, last time I checked I don't have a brain altering problem dangling between my legs."

Kim blushed a bit at the last line of Shego's rant but kept staring at the woman, listening to everything Shego said as she fumed. Kim had always listened to Shego, had always committed everything she said to memory and kept it stored somewhere in the back of her mind. Shego smirked slightly after noticing the blush on Kim's face, but mostly she was smirking at her own joke.

"And Three: I made the promise to take care of you until you were fit to fight crime again. And as strange as it may be, as counterintuitive, as totally wrong as it is, I fully intend to keep that promise. I even swore on a picture of you that your mom keeps in her office."

"My mom made YOU take a vow? Ok, now I really don't believe this."

"If you want Kimmie, I can bring her up here right now and have her tell you everything. But I'm telling you the truth Kim; I have no reason to lie to you."

Kim stared at Shego for a long moment in silence, the other woman's words running through her mind as she thought everything over. She knew that she shouldn't trust Shego, not after everything that had happened between the two of them, and especially considering that Shego was the reason Kim was in the hospital in the first place. Closing her eyes, Kim groaned softly before opening her eyes up again to glare at Shego as best she could.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two weeks. Your boyfriend decided to take it upon himself to make sure that your jobs got done."

"Great." Kim's voiced dripped with sarcasm. Ron taking over her duties was the scariest thought that had entered into her mind so far today. She hoped that he at least had Yuri or someone with actual skill helping him out, but since the world hadn't exploded yet or didn't seem to be run by evil mastermind's, he had probably been doing well.

There was a long moment of silence between the women; the only sound in the room was the beeping of the EKG machine. Shego finally looked away from Kim and out the door, her instincts screaming at her to run as far away as possible. But she wouldn't run. Shego had been running all of her life, from her family, from her past, from the people that wanted to get close to her. Now was the time to stop and actually face reality.

"Look, Kim, you have no reason to trust me or take my word. I put you in here, and I've done worse to you than this, but I made a promise to you to get you better, and I'll keep it, whether you like it or not."

Kim stared at Shego in silence, thinking over every word before sighing and staring up at the ceiling. She had given Shego a chance once when Shego had been forcefully turned good, what was so different this time? Why should Kim judge the woman so quickly? It wasn't very heroic of her to judge Shego so quickly and so readily. Maybe Shego could actually help her improve, but deep down Kim as suspicious. If this was another plot by Drakken, then the most logical place to keep Shego was right next to her.

"And how exactly are you going to help me?"

"I'm going to get you back into fighting shape and keep an eye on you. Your mom offered me a room at your house, and I can take up my job as Ms. Go again at your school."

"What about Barkin?" Now it was Kim's turn to smirk as she tilted her head to the side, looking at Shego. The light blush was plain on Shego's pale skin as she cleared her throat.

"I'll deal with it when it happens. Look, Kim, I'm going to help you, and the best way for me to keep you safe from Drakken or Monkey Fist is to stay as close to you as possible. I may not be in favor of attacking you at school, but they won't think twice about it."

"If they attack me at school, there are plenty of people there who can help me."

"Oh really? And who could help you? Your boyfriend, the greatest doofus that ever lived? Trust me on this one Kim; he's just as inept as Drakken is. Face it Princess, you need me."

Kim couldn't deny that Shego was right. She really did need the villainess to keep her safe, and not only that, she needed Shego to help her train and get back into fighting shape. Kim couldn't rely on Ron to help her, and the cheerleading squad was only good for her acrobatics. She could have flown out to Japan, but then she'd have to deal with seeing Yuri and Ron together and she hated that. She wasn't jealous of Yuri, or frightened at losing Ron, she hated that she didn't feel any remorse at the thought of losing Ron as her boyfriend.

"Fine, you win. I hate this, but you're right."

"I knew you'd see reason. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go tell your mother that you're awake."

Shego stood up and walked around Kim's bed, grabbing the card out of the Pandaroo's grasp before turning the door. Kim was about to stop her and say something when the door to Kim's room burst open and there was a loud yell as the chair that Shego was just sitting in toppled to the ground. Kim heard Shego growl, then the familiar sound of the villain's plasma igniting, and when Kim looked over she saw the other woman ready for an attack, a scowl on her face.

Shego leapt high up into the air, landing on the other side of Kim's bed and swung down at the intruder on the ground only to stop just before she hit him. Her plasma disappeared and Shego grabbed the back of the black shirt, lifting the person it was attached to up off the floor to reveal Ron Stoppable, his hands up in the air as if he was going to start fighting. Kim sighed, looking at her boyfriend, a soft smile on her face.

"Speak of the moron and he shall appear. Here you go Kim, your Prince of Idiocy."

Shego let go of Ron's shirt and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Kim watched the other woman leave, the short conflict replaying in her mind. Shego had actually tried to protect Kim, she was actually ready to fight and defend her. Kim couldn't believe it. What puzzled her most of all though is that Shego actually stopped herself from hitting Ron. Had she been transferred to an alternate dimension again or something? This was just wrong.

"KP! You're awake!" Ron hugged Kim tight, making her yelp loudly in pain, a sound which he ignored and just kept hugging her. "I was so worried Shego would do something to you while you were asleep!"

"Ron. Pain. Lots of it. Get. Off."

"She refused to leave you alone no matter how much I tried to get her away! I would have stayed with you but Wade convinced me that someone needed to take care of the world while you were out."

"Ron! Get off me, NOW!" Even the yelling hurt a lot, but it seemed like the only way to get Rom off of her. Ron finally got the hint and let go of her, looking down into her eyes and smiling wide, his hands on her shoulders.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you awake Kim. Now you can get back to saving the world … and helping me with my homework."

"I'm kind of recovering from a nasty fight here Ron; I can't get back into the fray just yet."

"Sure you can KP! You're invincible! I mean c'mon, this won't stop you. I bet you just put yourself here to get out of school and Shego was planning on actually making your faking real. Y'know I'm honestly surprised at you KP, ditching school to save the world is cool, but coming up with something like this? You should have shared it with me!"

"Ron, I'm not faking."

"Sure you are! If you didn't want to go to Bueno Nacho with me, you could have just said so, I'm sure we could have thought of somewhere else to go."

Kim sighed. It seemed like the only person actually glad to see her and legitimately concerned with her well-being was the woman that should have been her arch-nemesis. Not even Ron believed that she was injured, though Kim wasn't entirely surprised. Her boyfriend had always been really, really slow to grasp things. It would have been nice to see him at least a little concerned for her health though. Kim closed her eyes, ignoring Ron's ramblings, when she felt Rufus crawl up her arm to curl up against her neck, the naked mole rat squeaking out little half-words. At least someone else was happy to see her awake.

Kim reached up and stroked the mole rat along the back, smiling softly. She heard footsteps outside of her room and opened her eyes to see her mom walk into the room, Shego standing in the doorway and watching everything go on. For some reason, Kim found herself looking only at Shego as her mother and Ron traded off talking to her. She was only half listening, her mind occupied by thoughts of Shego. It was a weird world, and Kim was definitely set in the middle of the weirdness.

"Ron, can you leave me and Kim alone please?"

"Sure thing Doctor P!"

Ron turned and walked out of the room, leaving Rufus behind and curled up next to Kim's neck. Kim turned to face her mother, still smiling softly. Shego was in the corner of her eye, moving aside to let Ron out of the room when the door closed, hiding the pale woman from sight.

"Shego told me everything. Kim, what were you thinking going after her on your own? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I don't know mom … I just did. I've never lost to her before, I was confident this would be like every other time we've fought. I was wrong." Kim sighed and looked at her mother as she sat on the bed. Reaching out softly, Kim took her mother's hand in her own and squeezed gently, smiling. "I'm fine, honestly. It's just a little strange to wake up and see your arch-foe sitting next to you. It's even stranger to see her happy that you're awake and concerned about you."

"She refused to leave your side. None of the security staff wanted to try moving her, and all the doctors avoided her. She's kind of scary when she's angry."

"Shego's always angry mom, it's just the way she is."

"You'd be surprised Kimmie. I suppose she told you that she'll be staying with us until you're better?"

"Yeah, she said you made her take a vow and that it was you who offered her a place at the house."

"I did, and you are not talking me out of this. Don't even think about pouting, she made a very strong case to me as I'm sure she did to you."

"Yeah, she did. I don't like it mom, Shego actually made sense for once … and it wasn't her talking about evil either, she actually sounded … well, she sounded like a good guy."

"Well she was part of a hero team at one point Kim, and no matter how much you try to escape your past; it has a way of sticking with you."

Kim didn't know what to say to that. Instead she only nodded and stared at the door. On the other side of it was Shego, the person who was going to protect her and keep her safe until Kim was fit to take care of herself. It was all wrong, like some sort of weird parallel universe. Nothing made sense, but Kim liked that, she thrived on it. In an odd way, she had never felt more alive than this moment, now that she couldn't control the things around her. It felt freeing.

"Just promise me one thing Mom."

"What's that?"

"While Shego is staying with us … please keep the Tweebs away from her. She deserves better treatment than that."

"I'll try honey, but your brothers are unpredictable."

"Thanks mom." Kim turned her head to look at all the gifts arranged next to her bed. Reaching out with one hand and groaning with pain, Kim grabbed the Pandaroo and pulled it into bed with her, breathing slowly but deeply to recover. "How long do I have to stay here until I can go home and get back to school?"

"You should be able to get home tomorrow, but school will be something different. I'd say another four days of bed rest before I'd let you walk around."

"Was it really that bad?"

"She shattered your ribs Kim; it takes a while for anyone to come back after that."

"I didn't think she kicked me that hard."

"It wasn't the kick so much as it was the bookshelf falling on you. The kick was enough to break your sternum and a couple ribs, the bookshelf sent some bone fragments into your lungs."

"You make it sound like I had to have surgery."

Anne looked away from Kim for a moment before nodding, squeezing her daughter's hand gently, her face softened. Kim's mouth dropped open again as she stared at her mother.

"I had to have surgery?"

"Well if they left the bone fragments in your lungs you could have died. Look at it this way Kim, you'll have a few scars to show off."

"Mom, can we focus here? I can't have scars anywhere! I'll be the deformed cheerleader that everyone laughs at!"

"It's not that bad Kimmie, just a couple of incisions to get at your lungs. It's not like they cut open your chest to perform open heart surgery."

"Ugh! I am so going to get laughed at! Bonnie will have a field day with this!"

Kim groaned and pulled the Pandaroo closer to her body, the only thing that seemed to comfort her. It wasn't fair at all, but she supposed she could make the best of it. Honestly, Kim was shocked that she hadn't gotten worse injuries over the years of being a hero. After all she had been through; Kim should be one walking scar. But the miracle of her being untouchable was over, and now she had to come to grips with the fact that she was just a normal person like everyone else. She really, really didn't like it.

"You know, she bought that for you."

Kim was jolted out of her thoughts by her mother's voice. Turning her head to face her Anne, Kim just stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to say. Looking down at the Pandaroo, Kim looked up at her mother again and tilted her head to side.

"Shego, she bought that for you. She saw everyone leaving their own gifts and didn't want to be outdone, so she asked me what you liked. So the next day she went out and bought that for you."

Shego bought Kim a Pandaroo? As if the universe wasn't twisted and strange enough already, it had just gotten weirder. Anne smiled and patted the back of Kim's hand before getting up and walking to the door to Kim's room. When the door opened, the argument on the other end flooded into the room. Shego and Ron were having a yelling match it seemed, and Shego was winning.

"I'm not gonna let you hurt KP, Shego! You could be here on Drakken's orders and I don't trust you!"

"Look moron, I'm not here to hurt her, I'm here to HELP her! And I'm certainly doing a better job at that than you!"

"No you're not; you're hurting her recovery by just being here!"

"I'm not the one trying to change her food supply to purely Bueno Nacho crap!"

"She needs all her vital nutrients and only Bueno Nacho has it!"

Kim looked at her mother, raising her eyebrow in question at Ron's statements. Anne nodded and sighed, rubbing her forehead as she looked into Kim's eyes, a frown on her face.

"Yes, he did try. Six times in fact. Each time it was Shego that shot him down."

Anne left the room, the door closing behind her and leaving Kim in silence to think everything over. Shego was here to help, bough Kim a Pandaroo, and even kept Ron from feeding her Bueno Nacho while she was unconscious. Hugging her new Pandaroo closer to her body, Kim smiled a bit behind the fake fur and closed her eyes. It really was a very strange world.


	3. Homecoming

Disclaimer: See the first few Chapters.

AN: Just gonna put this out there, another little note. I've decided to extend the timeline, so this story takes place while Kim is still in High School, just for ease. Her year is lasting a bit longer then intended, but it's all for the greater good.

* * *

><p>Kim was laying on her bed, staring down at her open text book and notebook, her pencil between her lips as she read the page. Kim groaned in frustration as she stared down at the page, not fully understanding what she was doing wrong. Groaning again, Kim slammed her head down into the text book and closed her eyes, the pencil falling from between her lips onto the pages of the book. She had defeated countless enemies, saved the world hundreds of times, but now she had come across her toughest enemy: Math.<p>

"Having trouble Princess?"

Kim looked up to see Shego standing in her doorway, a soft smirk on her lips and her arms crossed at her chest as she looked down at the younger woman. Kim only nodded and lifted the pencil off the book and looked through the problem again as Shego walked closer to her. Shego sat down next to Kim and looked over her shoulder at the problem, her pale hand resting on Kim's shoulder and brushing the hair from her skin. The light touch made Kim smile a bit as she spoke, using the eraser of her pencil to show Shego what she was doing.

"Well there's your problem." Shego readjusted herself on the bed and took the pencil from Kim's hand, flipping to an unused page of Kim's notebook and writing on it. "FOIL method is actually really easy if you're doing it right."

Kim tried to listen, but Shego was distracting her. Kim could smell Shego's shampoo, and the way her lips were moving as she talked was mesmerizing. Every now and then Kim would make soft noises as if she was listening, but she was so drawn in by Shego that she couldn't focus properly. Her hand went up and she brushed Shego's long, black hair off to the side to expose her throat. Smiling a bit, Kim leaned forward and started to trail kisses up and down Shego's neck.

Shego sighed softly, her lips twisting up into a coy smirk, but she pretended to not notice it, still talking about Kim's math homework instead. Shego's head tilted to the side a bit, allowing Kim more access to her neck, but she kept talking and talking. Kim grew frustrated with all the talking about school and math and started to nibble on Shego's neck, growling softly. Her hand slid up Shego's body to her face, caressing her cheek for a moment before turning Shego's head to the side and kissing her lips slowly but with enough of a hint to tell the other woman to shut up.

Luckily, Shego got the hint. Shego deepened the kiss, her arms wrapping around Kim's body to pull the younger woman close against her body. Kim smiled against her lover's lips, rolling Shego onto her back and rolling on top of the other woman, their green eyes meeting as they looked at each other, both of them grinning. Kim leaned down, kissing Shego again, rougher this time, more demanding, all of which Shego was happy to match.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Kim's eyes burst open into the dim light of the hospital room, her breathing heavy. She shook her head a bit and brought her hand up to rub her eyes, groaning softly as she tried to forget that dream. It didn't do a lot of good; no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't stop replaying the dream in her head. She wished she would stop having that dream, but it didn't seem likely to happen any time soon, especially not since Shego was going to become a permanent part of her life until she got better.

She wanted to ignore her feelings for Shego, they weren't right. Shego was a villain, and not just any villain, one of the worst in the evil community. She had even been the one to put Kim in the hospital, something that wasn't easily forgotten, or forgiven, and yet Kim found it next to impossible to be mad at the other woman. It was driving her insane, and that was the only conclusion that she came to about why she was having these dreams: Kim Possible was slowly losing her mind.

Kim dropped her hand to the side of the bed and opened her eyes, looking down at the Pandaroo that was in her arms, the stuffed animal that Shego had bought her. Suddenly the image of the Pandaroo changed and it was Shego laying in her arms now. Kim smiled softly, reaching down to run her fingers through Shego's hair only for the villainess to disappear and be replaced by the Cuddle Buddy once again. Kim sighed, her fingers running through the fake fur of the toy as she gazed down at it. She shouldn't be thinking like this, or wanting what she wanted. Shego was evil; she had made that perfectly clear on a number of occasions. Didn't make the fact that it was Shego that brought her to the hospital and vowed to protect her and get her battle ready again any more clearer, but Kim was coming to terms with that.

Turning her head around in a slow circle, Kim scanned the room, wanting to see if what her mother said about Shego never leaving was true. It didn't take her very long to identify the black and green fight suit in the chair next to her bed. Kim smiled a bit wider at the sight, looking at Shego's sleeping body. At least someone was actually concerned about her enough to never leave her side. Kim understood why her mother wasn't always in her room, she was a brain surgeon and had work of her own to do, but at least she was in the same building most of the time. Monique was nowhere to be found, but she probably hadn't heard from anyone yet. But it was Ron's absence that hurt the most, or at least she felt like it should.

Ron was her boyfriend, he said he loved her, and yet it was like he was trying to poison her or make her even worse then she already was. Trying to change her food supply to purely Bueno Nacho? Crushing her in a bear hug when her ribs were broken? It seemed like Ron just didn't care about her. Hell, his first reaction when she woke up was helping him out with his homework, and not something more concerned.

But Kim kept holding out faith that maybe, just maybe, Ron would change and grow up. But it just never seemed to happen. The more chances she gave him to change, the more he would throw those chances in her face, laugh, and then run off and ask what was wrong on the way out the door. She had put on a smile and happy face for him through all their relationship, and she felt like she couldn't do it for much longer. It was slowly killing her.

Kim closed looked for a while longer at Shego's sleeping form, wishing that she could get out of this hospital bed and pull the other woman into her arms, but she couldn't. Taking a deep breath, Kim closed her eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep, her arms wrapping tighter around the stuffed animal that Shego bought her, her final thought of the villainess only a few feet away.

"I wonder what Shego is dreaming about."

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Shego's eyes burst open and her plasma ignited immediately as she bolted up from the chair, her glowing hand coming up to grab at the throat of whoever was shaking her. She stopped only a few inches from Anne Possible's throat. Her plasma disappeared and her hand fell to her side as she looked into Anne's eyes, sighing deeply. She looked down at the ground and sat back in her chair.

"I'm sorry, I was just startled."

"No, it's fine; it just proves to me that you'll always be on guard of Kim, even if you're asleep. It makes me feel more comforted."

"I guess. It just feels like I'm being a poor guest, attacking the woman that's offering me free room and board."

Anne just chuckled and pulled up a chair next to Shego, looking down at Kim as she slept. Shego's head lifted from the floor to look up at the young woman that she was supposed to be protecting. She must be going crazy if she was going to be protecting Kim Possible. She was supposed to be on the other side, the side of the battle that attacked and tried to kill Kim. But she had been questioning that position for a long time, and her short lived stint as Ms. Go had her questioning that even more.

Shego sighed again; looking at Kim's sleeping face. She had the dream again last night, the dream of her and Kim living together. That dream was coming closer to reality, even if it was with parental supervision. It wasn't exactly fair, but Shego had lived an unfair life for a very long time, so this was nothing new to her. She and Anne sat in silence for a long time, just watching Kim sleep, before Anne turned to the villainess and patted the woman on the shoulder.

"She comes home today, and so do you. Are you ready?"

"You mean am I ready to pretend to be good again and live in the house of the woman who should be my mortal enemy just so I can protect her and get her back into fighting shape so she can come back in a few months and kick my sorry ass up and down Middleton?" Shego scoffed and glanced at Anne out of the corner of her eye before looking back at Kim. "I guess I am."

"Good." Anne smiled wider and patted Shego's shoulder again before getting up and walking out of the room. "I'll be in my office, come get me when Kimmie wakes up."

"Yeah."

Shego sighed when she heard the door close behind Anne, watching Kim sleep for a while longer. She wanted to get up and kiss Kim again, like she had when she had first made the promise, but she resisted. It wasn't right to want to be with your enemy in a romantic fashion, the amount of crap she'd get from Drakken alone would be enough to make her go full homicidal on the world. That is, if Drakken could pull his head out of his ass long enough to actually pay attention to Shego's life for more than five seconds.

Shego sighed again at the thought of her employer. He was just as bad as Ron a lot of the time, and Shego thanked whatever spiritual force that existed that she had put Drakken in his place and told him that she was not going to be with him. "Drewbie" just did not seem to ever take a hint, and he kept coming on way too damn strong.

Sighing again, Shego leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, trying to get a few more minutes of sleep before she had to wake Kim up and take her home. It was not going to be an easy thing to do, but Shego would do it. She had put up with all her brothers for a long time and Drakken; she could deal with living under the same roof as Kim Possible, even if every minute near Kim would be emotional torture.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Kim heard her name being called through the haze of her dream and her eyes slowly fluttered open to the brightness of the hospital bed, her mother standing over her with a big smile on her face. Kim brought her hand up to rub her eyes again, groaning a bit as she sat up in the bed. Kim looked around the room but didn't see Shego anywhere, and that made her worry. Had Shego broken her promise? Had she finally shown that she really was evil? Her mother didn't look in the least bit concerned, and that gaze Kim some form of comfort, but losing Shego was something that sent chills down her spine.

"Wake up Kim; it's time to go home."

"Where's Shego?"

"She's getting your wheelchair from down the hall."

Kim felt a bit relieved that Shego hadn't left. It was an odd feeling, but for a brief moment the dream from last night flashed into her mind and she coughed a bit to hide her blush. Kim glanced up at her mother and smiled softly. She didn't like the idea of being confined to a wheelchair, but she couldn't walk just yet, not without hurting her own recovery, and she needed to get back into the fight as soon as possible.

It didn't take very long for Shego to come back into the room with Kim's wheelchair, pulling it up beside the bed and taking a deep breath. She looked like she was preparing herself for something big to happen, but Kim understood that completely. It couldn't be easy for Shego to do this, no easier for her than it was for Kim to try and live with a villain. For one brief moment, Kim sympathized with Shego on this, and felt bad that the other woman actually had to give up everything for someone that she was sworn to fight against.

Kim's eyes met Shego's and they both smiled softly at each other before Kim broke eye contact to try and find all the cards and gifts left from her family and friends. But they were gone, her room had been cleared out and she felt her heart drop. She was about to ask what happened to them all when she heard Shego's voice.

"They're in your room at your house; I made sure to set everything up."

Kim was silent for a while, a smile still on her lips. Shego actually took care of her things. Where was Ron to do all of this? He was probably at Bueno Nacho trying to get some food in him before heading to her house, or out doing her job for her. Both thoughts made Kim shiver. She turned back around to face Shego and her mother, nodding a silent thanks to Shego.

"You ready to go home Kimmie-cub?"

"Yeah, I think I am."

Shego moved closer to Kim and wrapped her arms around. The feeling of the other woman's arms around her body made Kim blush, but she reached up and wrapped her own arms around Shego's neck to make sure she didn't fall. It was odd, she actually trusted Shego to carry her without dropping her, and she felt safe in Shego's arms. It was more than puzzling, it was downright wrong. She should _not_ be feeling safe in the arms of a villainess, and yet she did. She felt safer in Shego's embrace then she ever did in Ron's. The moment didn't last very long, but Kim was happy that it had actually happened.

Her wheelchair wasn't very comfortable, but Kim took comfort in the fact that she wouldn't be in it for long periods of time. Shego walked behind Kim and handed her the Cuddle Buddy she had bought the young woman, smiling at her as she did so. Kim took it and held it close to her, burying her face in the top of the stuffed animal's head. At least some part of Shego was in her arms, even if was only a stuffed animal. Shego started to wheel Kim out of her room and into the hallway, Kim's mother standing close by at all times.

They made their way out to the car in silence, Kim all the time trying to find some sort of topic to discuss but not actually thinking of anything to say. When they finally made it to the car, Shego moved out from behind Kim's wheelchair while Anne opened up the car door. Shego again picked Kim up in her arms and carried the younger woman to the car, placing her down in the backseat and making sure she was strapped in properly. Kim blushed the whole way, coughing slightly when she was set down.

"Thanks Shego." Kim said quietly. Shego just looked at the other woman and smiled, ruffling her hair before closing the door and folding up the wheel chair. Kim just stared out the window at Shego in silence. She didn't get it, what had caused the other woman to do all of this for her, to take care of her like this? Then the memory of the dream hit her in full force, as did her final thought before blacking out during their fight, and Kim gasped. Could Shego feel the same way about Kim?

The thought was so absurd it made Kim laugh out loud, something she regretted an instant later when she felt pain shoot through her chest, turning her laugh into a groan. She was just glad that no one was in the car to fuss over her when she groaned. She didn't mind the attention, especially from Shego, but it got old fast, especially when she knew she'd be fine. She was Kim Possible after all, and Kim Possible always came out of bad situations perfectly fine.

Anne and Shego got into the car a moment later and they left the hospital behind them. The car ride went by in silence, Shego staring out of the passenger side window and Kim staring out of the car through the windshield. Again, she tried to think of a topic but nothing would come up. Part of her was afraid though, afraid to talk to Shego with her mother there. There were only so many things that Kim could bring up, but none of those were what she really wanted to talk about. And talking about Shego's villainous past in front of her mother didn't seem like a good thing to bring up, at least not just yet.

It was a while before they got to Kim's home, and Shego was the first one out of the car. She seemed almost eager to help Kim, and that was a little puzzling, but Kim didn't mind. If it meant spending more time in the other woman's arms, then she would happily settle for being puzzled. Shego unfolded the wheelchair and set it down outside of the car before stopping. She looked up and said something that Kim couldn't quite hear through the glass. Her mother said something back and Shego just nodded, folding up the chair and putting it back in the trunk of the car. She stared in silence for a moment, wondering what was going on.

Shego moved to Kim's door and opened it up, a smirk on her lips as she started to pull the seatbelt away from Kim's body.

"Change of plans Princess."

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Shego could see the slight flash of fear in Kim's eyes at her words. It was slightly amusing, and Kim looked even more beautiful than normal when she was only slightly afraid. Shego didn't actually say anything more, and instead picked Kim up in her arms and pulled the younger woman out of the car, the smirk still on her face. It was all for a reason though, more than just because she loved holding Kim. She had almost forgotten about the upstairs portion of the house where all the bedrooms were, and having Kim get wheeled up those stairs with broken ribs was not going to happen. So Shego would carry her, it was the only sensible option.

Kim didn't seem to mind too much when Shego started to carry her through the front door of her home. It actually felt like her arms gripped onto Shego's neck just a bit tighter, and Shego couldn't really complain. This was the highlight of her day so far, and she would be replaying these moments in her head for a very long time. Shego took her time carrying Kim up the stairs, making sure not to bounce her too much but also not to slip and fall on the stairs. She had promised to take care of Kim, and she would. It wouldn't look good for her to have her promise fall apart just because she slipped on some stairs.

It took almost five minutes to get up the top of the stairs, but it was worth it. For those five minutes, Kim and Shego were in each other's arms, and both of them were happier in that moment then they had been through most of their lives. It was a shame when the moment had to come to an end. Shego carried Kim into her room, opening the door to reveal Monique pinning up a banner that said "Welcome Home Kim" on it. Shego carried Kim to her bed and set the younger woman down in silence, pulling the blanket over her before leaving the room.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Kim was a little heartbroken when Shego set her down in her bed and left the room, but she was happy to see Monique there. She watched Shego leave in silence, frowning a bit when the older woman left. Though she couldn't watch Shego for very long before Monique sat down next to her on the bed and cleared her throat. Kim turned her head to look at her, smiling wide.

"So tell me in what universe you going off to fight Shego on your own, without telling anyone, including your best friend, was a good idea?"

"I'm sorry Mo', but I've already gotten this speech from mom, I don't need it from you too."

"You're gonna get it from everyone girl, you were being stupid." Monique glared down at Kim for a while longer before sighing, her body relaxing and her frown disappearing into her usual sarcastic grin. "If you're ribs weren't broken I'd hug you right now."

"And it's the thought that counts."

Monique smiled down at Kim, leaning down a bit and hugging Kim lightly before sitting up on the bed again facing Kim. Shego came in a few moments later with the wheelchair, unfolded it and set it down next to Kim's bed. Shego looked between the two girls, smiling softly before looking at Kim.

"If you need anything, let me know. I'm in the next room over."

"Yeah … thanks Shego."

"Don't mention it Princess." Shego turned and left the room, walking into the guest room. Kim watched the other woman leave, a frown on her face. Something was wrong with Shego, that much was clear, and Kim wished she could know what. Monique just sighed and looked down at Kim, raising an eyebrow.

"How's it feel to know the woman that put you in the hospital is living under the same roof as you, and not only that, but is sleeping just one door over?"

"Not gonna, lie, it feels really weird. But it's not just that she's here … Mo', I actually trust her to keep her promise."

"Kim, let me remind you that she's the reason you're like this."

"I know, I know. It's weird but … something tells me that it'll be ok, and I've learned to trust my feelings."

Monique stared at Kim in disbelief for a while before taking a deep breath and patting the back of Kim's hand. She looked into Kim's eyes, her face covered with concern.

"You may trust her, but I don't." Kim opened her mouth to speak but Monique raised her hand, glaring at her friend. "Let me finish. I don't trust her, but I trust you Kim. So if you're getting the vibes that say 'Trust Shego', then I'll just have to believe you. "

"Thanks Mo', really. I really needed someone to say that."

"What, Ron not being supportive enough for you?"

"If Ron could pull himself away from his stupid wrestling matches and Bueno Nacho long enough to care, I'd probably die of shock."

"What's the supposed to mean?"

Kim looked into Monique's eyes and sighed, telling her everything that had happened at the hospital. Everything that Shego had done, what her mother had said, and what Ron had done. Monique sat in silence, listening to everything that Kim said. When Kim finally stopped, Monique was still quiet for a while before looking out of the window of Kim's room, whistling softly.

"Wow, I knew Ron was bad but … really? I can understand why you trust Shego now. But remember Kim, she could be playing at something else."

"I know Monique, I've thought of it too, but the only way for me to actually get better and ready to fight again is with Shego's help. As much as I hate to admit it, I need her. Besides, it's actually nice to have someone that cares and is concerned around all the time."

"Don't give up hope on Ron just yet girl, he may come through."

"I don't know about that. I've given him plenty of opportunities to change and actually grow up, but he just won't do it. I'm actually thinking of breaking up with him Mo'."

"Well if you do Kim, I'm here for you."

"I know, thanks." Kim smiled up at her best friend. They sat in silence for a long time before Kim finally grew tired of it. "I've been out for two weeks, what did I miss?"

"Well Bonnie's been trying to steal your spot on the cheer squad. It's not working, no one wants to lose you as leader Kim, they even started a get well soon fund for you in case you needed it."

"I figured Bonnie would do something while I was away, I'm glad no one is listening to her."

"Did anyone ever listen to her in the first place?"

Kim laughed softly. She loved talking to Monique about this; she was really the only person that helped her get through her bad times. Monique knew just what to say to make Kim smile or laugh; she was really the only one that had that quality. Though, for some odd reason, she thought that Shego would steal that spot from her in no time.


	4. An Exercise of Stupidity

Disclaimer: Blah blah, I don't own these people, they own me.

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><p>Shego had spent the past two days preparing for this moment, but it seemed like all the preparations in the world wouldn't mean anything. She was nervous, more nervous than she could ever remember being and that frightened her a bit. It wasn't really a big deal, it was just a building and a bunch of snot nosed little punks who thought they knew better than her. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel even more at the thought of standing up in front of the classroom, dressed as a conservative teacher and droning on about mathematical formulas. It wasn't her ideal job, in fact she had only taken the Child Development course back in college to just get it done with, something that she could say that she did. Shego never actually planned on needing it.<p>

But as she pulled up to Middleton High School, Shego was starting to regret ever making that stupid promise. She hated kids, especially teenagers. But it wasn't the kids that she was dreading the most, or the promise she made Kim, it was Barkin. She and Stevie hadn't exactly ended on the best of terms, and she really didn't want to deal with him. He was almost as bad as Drakken in not being able to take a hint, or take "no" as a credible answer. But she would have to deal with him quietly, if that was even possible. Shego doubted that Barkin and "quiet" fit together at all.

Shego looked over at Kim sitting in the passenger seat and put on a brave face for her, her grip on the steering wheel just as tight, and she could feel the itch of her plasma just begging to be ignited. She resisted, after all she was driving Kim's car and didn't want to destroy it. Kim was just staring out the windshield, as if she were preparing for her first day back in civilization. The thought made Shego want to scoff, but she held it back. Another thing that never went well together: High School and Civilized Living. It just didn't exist, but Kim was determined to prove her wrong it seemed.

Shego pulled into one of the teacher's parking spots and turned off the ignition to the car, falling back into her seat and glaring out of the windshield at the back doors to the school. Every fiber of her being was telling her to run, to leave. She had a private island she could retreat to; all she had to do was just start running. But she made Kim a promise, and even if she had to relive the hell that is High School, she would keep her word. Turning to look at Kim, she took a deep breath, her brave face still plastered on even if she was fuming with rage and nervousness.

"You ready Princess?"

"No, are you?"

Kim's honesty took Shego back a bit, but if she couldn't back out of this, then she wouldn't let Kim back out either. Reaching over, Shego patted Kim's shoulder gently and put on as good of a smile as she could to try and reassure the young woman. Kim turned her head to look at Shego, her face having the look akin to a deer caught in headlights. Kim was frightened, Shego could see it everywhere, but now wasn't the time to be afraid of anything.

"To be honest, no, I'm not. But I made you a promise, and I'll keep it."

"I can't tell you how much this means to me Shego, really. I promise I'll repay you any way that I can."

_Honey, you'll be repaying me for years after this,_ Shego thought as she looked into Kim's eyes. It was silent for a moment before she patted Kim's shoulder and nodded, smiling a bit wider.

"I'll hold you to that Princess. Now, let's get going, first day back is always hard."

Kim only nodded and started to unbuckle her seatbelt, slowly getting out of the car to keep from hurting herself even more. Shego watched her get out for a moment, frowning with worry. She still didn't like letting Kim do anything without the wheelchair or even with her help, but the younger woman had insisted that the only way she was going to get better is if she started doing things on her own. Shego couldn't really argue with that, so she just silently agreed, though part of her wished that she would be able to just carry Kim around all day long.

With one last deep breath, Shego reached into the back of the car and grabbed the workout bag that she had placed there, groaning with frustration as her hand wrapped around the cord. She couldn't believe she had actually agreed to this, but the puppy dog pout was just so damn hard to say no to. Closing her eyes, Shego got out of the car and walked up to the doors of the school with Kim, holding the door open for the younger woman. When Kim walked by, Shego whispered so that only Kim could hear her.

"You owe me for this one Kim. You owe me big time."

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Yesterday

"No, absolutely not!"

"Please Shego? I need you to do this for me!"

"I've done some crazy things in my life Kim, but I am not going to do this. This is … this is insanity!"

"Shego without you the whole group will fall on its face! They need one more to stand there, and you're the only person I can think of!"

"No way Kim, I am not going to do it. And nothing you can do or say will convince me."

Kim watched Shego pace around her room, practically yelling, her plasma ignited but for once it wasn't a combat situation. Kim could understand why Shego was so hesitant, and even angry, but Kim needed Shego's help, and Kim distinctly remembered that the other woman had said she'd do anything to help Kim's recovery along. This would be a big step, one less thing to worry about.

"First off, I'm going to be your teacher, and it's impossible for me to fill in your roll on the cheer squad. Teachers cannot be cheerleaders!"

"I'll pull some strings, get some help, and I bet nobody would complain to see you in a cheer outfit."

"It's not going to happen Kim, just stop."

"It's not that bad Shego, I swear."

"I am not going to get up in front of an entire auditorium and prance around in a skimpy outfit! It's not even black and green!"

Kim held back a giggle at that, just watching the other woman fume. She couldn't deny that seeing Shego like this was more than a little amusing, but Kim couldn't actually say anything about that. Part of her was amazed at Shego's self-control however. When Kim had first asked, she had expected Shego to throw a huge fit and actually attack her, but the worst that had happened was Shego's hands had ignited only a moment after the suggestion was thrown out into the air.

"Please Shego; you're the only one that can do it. It'll just be until I get better, and then you can stop."

"What makes you think that I'm even capable of doing something like this?"

"Well you've got the acrobatic talent, and you're a fast learner. Plus you've got the body for it."

Kim thought she saw Shego blush a bit at the mention of her body, but if she did it wasn't very clear. The other woman's plasma discharge only glowed brighter, her pace speeding up to the point that Kim was afraid she'd wear a rut into the floor.

"I am not going to do it Kim, no matter what you- oh no, not the pout."

Shego turned around to see Kim's infamous puppy dog pout. The young woman's eyes were open wide and watering slightly, as if she was about to cry. Her bottom lip was quivering ever so slightly. She looked so damn sad, and it took every ounce of her will to keep Shego from charging over there and kissing the young woman to cheer her up. Sighing, Shego's fists unclenched and her plasma faded away, her eyes rolling off to the side so she wouldn't have to look at Kim. She mumbled something that Kim couldn't quite make out.

With the pout still in full effect, Kim spoke, making her voice sound even sadder than her face looked. The sound of it made Shego groan in frustration.

"What was that Shego?"

"I said I'll do it, I'll be a cheerleader."

Shego had to hold back a happy grin at the sound of Kim's squeal of pleasure. Turning to look back at Kim, her face deadly serious, she spoke slowly but clearly.

"On one condition!"

"Name it, anything!"

"I don't want to hear any sarcastic comments coming from you. I'm already going to be humiliated enough as it is, I don't need your help."

"Deal! Thank you so much Shego!"

"Yeah, yeah, now get out."

Kim struggled to her feet, groaning a bit as she stood. Shego wanted to rush over and help her, but Kim had already convinced her not to, and she didn't even need the pout for that. Shego watched the red-headed heroine leave her room, limping slightly and holding her side as she exited the villainess' room. Shego walked over to her stereo, turning on the loud music and closing the door to her room before flopping down onto the bed, wondering what exactly she had just gotten herself into.

It was in the process of her wondering that her mind came back to Kim's comment on her body, and instead of a blush, it made her smirk. Could it really be that the Princess just wanted Shego to dress up in a cheerleading outfit just to get a better look at Shego's body? It was a possibility, and one that Shego was not ready to rule out just yet. Closing her eyes, Shego fell asleep, dreaming of her and Kim together, having a little "roleplay" session.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Present Day

Shego watched her last class of the day leave the room, a fake smile plastered on her face. God she hated this smile, it was just so damn sweet. She hated pretending to be nice and good, it just wasn't natural. If she wanted to be good, she would hit herself with the attitudinator again and run off to her family in her home city. But even as a good guy, her brothers had driven her up the wall, so it wasn't really an option.

Looking up at the clock, Shego groaned and walked out of her classroom and into the teachers' lounge. She had spent most of her time today trying to avoid Steve Barkin, and so far it had worked, but after school hours there were no guarantees. Now was the time for Shego to employ ever bit of stealth in her being to get into the teachers' lounge and then into the gym before anyone noticed her. It'd be hard, but she had confidence that she could pull it off.

All this led to a rather comical image of Ms. Go creeping down hallways and past classrooms, ducking under windows and even running across the yard. All of which Kim was in a good position to see. The red-headed heroine sat in silence at a window or down a hallway, watching Shego try to be sneaky, and usually succeed, but it lost its effect without the black and green battle suit that the other woman usually wore. The whole time however, Kim had to bite back sarcastic comments and laughter. She had promised Shego that she wouldn't taunt the older woman, and Kim Possible had been raised to keep her promises.

Shego managed to make it to the teachers' lounge without running into Barkin. But that was today, there was no promises for the next couple of months that Kim was recovering. Grabbing her workout bag, Shego made her way into the gym, again moving as sneakily as possible. When she entered into the large room, she saw the rest of the cheer squad was already there, along with Kim. Shego caught the eye of the young woman and nodded a silent confirmation that she was ready for this, even if she wasn't. Kim nodded back, and Shego ducked into the girl's locker room to change.

It only took a few minutes to get the uniform on, but what was stalling her most was her appearance in the mirror that was hanging against one of the walls. She looked horrible, or at least in her own mind she did. Her pale skin contrasted against the purple and orange uniform and it made her resemble a green corpse. It took her a while to get used to the look, and at the end of that time she heard Kim calling out her name.

Shego crept to the doors of the changing room and cracked it open just a bit. The entire cheer squad was staring at the door in anticipation, but the one who seemed to be looking the hardest was Bonnie Rockwaller. Shego would never understand how Kim could call this girl a "rival" when all that she knew of Bonnie was verbal assaults. Shego thought that it was a bit insulting to Kim to call Bonnie a "rival", so instead she opted for the term "Bitch With Attitude", or simply, "BWA".

"Well Princess, if I didn't hate you before, you've given me plenty of reason to hate you now."

Shego took a deep breath and stepped out of the locker room, walking as confidently as she could towards the rest of the cheer squad. She heard some gasps, and saw lots of the girls talking amongst each other in hushed tones, but Shego had eyes only for Kim. The two women looked each other in the eye for a long moment, and Shego thought she saw something in Kim's eyes, something that she couldn't quite define. Except for the murmuring, the gym was rather silent. Shego stood in front of the bleachers that Kim was sitting on, her hands on her hips as she looked up at the young red head, her head tilted to the side softly. It was almost like they were communicating mentally as they gazed at each other.

_"How do I look?"_

_"Perfect."_

Kim smiled at Shego, and the older woman returned the look for a brief moment. Of course the murmuring and the silence couldn't last forever, and the one to break it had to be the BWA.

"This is ridiculous! You expect us to work with an amateur, let alone a teacher?"

Everyone went quiet at Bonnie's voice. Her last words echoed around the gym and Shego turned to face the younger woman, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face, her eyes closed as she spoke in the tone of Ms. Go.

"Bonnie?"

"What?"

"Shut up and do the routine."

Shego's smile disappeared and was replaced by her usual sarcastic smirk, her green eyes glinting with playfulness, the sweetness in her voice gone, replaced by her normal tone. Sniggers could be heard behind Shego from the rest of the squad, including Kim. Shego felt some pride in that, plus the disgusted look on Bonnie's face.

"You can't talk to me like that! I'll get my father-"

"To do what? Sue me? Get me fired? Let me tell you something Bonnie, my last name is 'Go', as in Go City. Yeah, that's right, my family founded Go City, and we practically own all of its treasures, meaning I've got enough political pull there to make sure that my ass stays perfectly untouched by your Daddy."

Shego smiled at Bonnie as the gym went silent. Shego glanced at Kim out of the corner of her eye and saw the young red head smirking with what looked like pride. Bonnie's mouth was hanging wide open with shock, and Shego had the feeling that no one had ever talked to her like that before. Well, there was a first time for everything. Bonnie sputtered her words for a moment before letting out a yell of frustration and stomping off. The moment lasted a long while, everyone in stunned silence with Shego standing there triumphantly.

Then suddenly she was surrounded by the cheer squad, people patting her back and thanking her for putting Bonnie in her place. Shego just reveled in the attention for a while before Kim clapped her hands and started giving orders. Cheer practice had begun it seemed, and today was Shego's first day as a cheerleader.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Kim got into her car, laughing as loud as she could without hurting her ribs. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard, all she knew is that it felt really good. Shego got into the car a moment later, tossing her gym bag into the back seat and sitting herself down in the driver's seat of the car. Closing the door, she looked over at Kim, smiling at the younger woman. Her laughter was infectious, and Shego found herself chuckling a bit too.

"Why are you so happy Princess?"

"Did you see Bonnie's face? Oh my God that was classic! I just wish I had my camera running, that was worthy of YouTube."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Shego chuckled again before starting up the car and pulling out of her parking spot. The drive to Kim's house was a bit long, but it didn't bother Shego too much, she got to spend some alone time with Kim and that was always a bonus. It took a while for Kim to calm down and end her laughing fit, but her breaths were punctuated by short bouts of laughter here and there. Shego was happy that she could make the young woman that happy, even if she felt embarrassed through most of the cheer practice. As long as it would bring a smile to Kim's face, Shego would do anything.

"Did you really mean it?"

Kim's voice shook Shego out of her thoughts. Glancing at the other woman, Shego raised an eyebrow in question.

"Did I mean what?"

"What you said about your family founding Go City."

Shego was silent for a long moment, and it made Kim worry that maybe she brought up a sore subject. Turning her head to look at the older woman, Kim just watched her in silence, figuring that Shego would either say she didn't want to talk about it, or answer her. It took a few minutes, but finally Shego nodded, her voice soft as she spoke.

"Yeah, it's true."

"Then why do you put up with prison? Why do you steal from people and commit crime if your family practically _owns_ a city?"

"It's … it's a long story Kim. Ask me again when you know me better." Shego's voice was even quieter now, and filled with what felt like grief. Kim took the hint and stopped talking, riding the rest of the way home in silence. But in the back of her mind, Kim Possible was coming up with ways to make the mysterious Shego spill all of her secrets, one way or another.


	5. Remembrance and Reminders

Disclaimer: Blah Blah, don't own this, don't sue, no money, all that good stuff

AN: Sorry this took so long, I've just been really busy with work. Gotta pay the bills somehow, right?

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><p>Shego lay in bed that night, looking up at her ceiling, her arms behind her head as she swam in her thoughts. Kim had asked her about her family and her history. It wasn't an easy subject to talk about, or to really think about. Shego had been running from her past and her family for years, trying to hide from her feelings. Her brothers thought that she went evil because she became addicted to the lifestyle; Shego had put it out there that it was mostly her brother's fault, but that was only partly true. Her brothers annoyed the living hell out of her, especially Hego and Mego, the twins had never been that bad, but they were young still.<p>

Closing her eyes, Shego let a soft smile drift across her face, letting the memories consume her. It hadn't always been bad, and she had been happy back then. But then things went wrong in a hurry, and she needed an excuse. Slowly, the tears fell from the corners of her eyes, the day it had all gone wrong flashing through her mind. The nightmare had been haunting her since she became evil, but she had learned to live with it, and being near Kim helped keep the memory at bay.

Shego was about to relive the memory again when she heard the soft knock on the door. Opening her eyes, Shego looked around frantically, her hands coming up to wipe the tears from her eyes as she took a few deep breaths to gather her composure. Shego mentally slapped herself again and again, her inner voice screaming at her. It helped, but not nearly as much as normal, not with Kim being so close by. Somehow, Kim seemed to have the effect of turning Shego into that scared girl she had been so long ago.

The door to her room opened slowly and Kim was soon standing in the doorway, looking worried. Shego tried to conjure up the image that she normally presented as the tough woman who couldn't be hurt. Somehow, it didn't seem to be as convincing this time as it was the hundreds of other times she had faced the young woman. Kim took slow, cautious steps into Shego's room, as if she was afraid of an attack, and Shego felt her heart drop just a bit. Did she really come across as someone that would attack a person just for the slightest thing? Her inner voice was screaming "yes" at her.

"Shego … I wanted to apologize for earlier today."

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong Kim."

"I brought up a sore subject … I'm sorry."

Shego stared at Kim for a long moment. She must have been scowling because Kim was shrinking away from her, and Shego hated seeing it. She didn't want Kim to be afraid of her, but what she really wanted she could never have. Letting out a deep breath, Shego slumped her shoulders a bit and relaxed, smiling a bit at the younger woman.

"It's fine, honestly."

"Will you tell me what's wrong?"

Kim's voice was heavily laced with concern and worry; her eyes were staring into Shego's with a depth that looked more like pleading than anything else. She was truly concerned about Shego, and that realization sent a jolt through the older woman, a jolt of what felt like acceptance. Shaking her head, Shego took another deep breath to clear her head, the little voice in the back of her head still screaming at her for being stupid. But today, she was ignoring the voice.

"Like I said Kimmie, ask me again when you know me better."

"You like Coco-moo, your favorite colors are black and green, you're more alive fighting then you are standing still, you hate your job and your boss. You hate Bueno Nacho, you're favorite movie genres are romantic comedies, and action, and you love to shop at Club Banana. You love your family, even if you don't want to admit it, and you've saved my life twice." Kim stared at Shego, counting off the list on her fingers, her voice stern as her eyes gazed into Shego's. "I know you well enough Shego, but you're right … I don't know you enough to ask about your life. My question to you is simple: How will I ever get to know you, if you don't let me in?"

The outburst caught Shego off-guard, but she couldn't deny that Kim made a good point. Chuckling a bit, Shego closed her eyes and shook her head, her hand coming up to rub her forehead as she processed everything. Kim was being pushy, but wasn't completely unusual to Shego, the younger woman had always been pushy around her.

"You're right. I'll say this Kim, you're more observant than you seem … but you got one thing wrong."

"What's that?"

"Black, green and blue." Shego opened her eyes, smiling a bit wider at Kim, their eyes meeting once more. "My favorite colors are black, green and blue."

They were silent for a long moment, just looking at each other, Kim's face still twisted up in a stern expression for a while before she smiled and started walking towards the door. Reaching the doorway, Kim turned her back on Shego and stopped, looking over her shoulder at the older woman.

"Well, it's a start."

And with that, Kim was gone. Shego stared out of her open door, the exchange running through her head thousands of times before she got up and closed to door to her room, chuckling softly. Turning on her stereo, Shego turned off the light to her room and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets over her body. As she drifted off to sleep, Shego thought of her past, a smile on her face as she dreamt of happier times.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Three Days Later

Shego stared at the group of young women in front of her, trying to evoke the image of a woman who was not to be played around with. She didn't think she was succeeding very well from the wide smiles on all of their faces. Putting her fork down into the Styrofoam container, Shego looked down at her desk, a single thought running through her mind.

_"They must be crazy."_

Looking up from her desk at the leader of the group, Shego's eyes narrowed into a glare at Kim Possible, who was sitting in the middle desk of her classroom, a playful smirk on her lips. Staring at Kim, Shego realized that the girls weren't crazy; they just had a very persuasive leader. Sighing, Shego pushed her lunch away from her and looked at the cheerleaders gathered before her, all of them with such hopeful looks.

"Ok, so say I do agree to this … how soon are we talking?"

"Wednesday, next week."

Shego was silent for a long moment as Kim's voice rang through her mind. It wasn't a lot of time to prepare, but Shego worked well on short deadlines and lots of pressure. She was starting to really regret promising Kim to take her spot on the cheer squad, but every time she saw the younger woman smile, Shego was reminded why she agreed in the first place.

"Kim, can I speak to you alone for a minute?"

The rest of the girls looked at each other, murmuring a bit before leaving the classroom. Shego got up and closed the door behind them, her sickeningly sweet smile on her face. Kim knew that smile well enough to know that Shego was actually furious. The moment the door closed, the older woman spun and let the smile drop, her plasma igniting and nearly burning the sleeves of her outfit.

"I am not going to do this!"

"C'mon Shego, you already promised to take my place."

"Yeah, for practice, not for actual events!"

"It's no different from a practice Shego; you're just going to be doing the same routines you normally do."

"In front of hundreds of people! Kim, practice is one thing; at least there it's just you, me and the other girls. This is completely different!"

Kim watched Shego pace in her classroom, trying to think of a way to calm the older woman down. At the moment, nothing came to mind. Shego just kept pacing, her footsteps moving faster and faster as Kim watched. It took a while, and plenty of Kim convincing herself that using the puppy dog pout again would be wrong, but she finally asked something.

"Why are you so against this Shego?"

It was silent for a very long moment, Shego's pacing stopped as she stood by the blackboard at the side of the room. As the silence stretched on, Kim couldn't help she had asked another personal question. She was just about to apologize when Shego spoke.

"I don't like flaunting my body Kim. I get nervous when people stare at me, especially people I don't know. I feel like I'm being judged."

"Shego, don't lie."

"I'm not lying, Kim! Think about it for a minute, and I mean really think. Every time you've seen me in something that shows off my body, what have I acted like?"

Kim actually thought about it. She remembered seeing the older woman in a dress a few times, but she never looked comfortable. Shego had actually only gotten more comfortable wearing her dressed when she fought Kim. Even her date with Barkin, Shego was twitching a lot, and not just because she was nervous. Kim looked up at the older woman, shock in her eyes.

"Shego, that's ridiculous! You look gorgeous and you have a figure most people would kill for!"

"Kim, please, just stop. I don't want to do this, but I promised you I would take your place … so I have to."

Shego took a deep breath, her plasma disappearing as she turned to face Kim, scowling a bit. It was Friday, she just wanted to go home, put on her pajamas, grade papers, maybe watch a bit of TV and just relax. But apparently, that was just a bit too much to ask. Leveling her green eyes at Kim's, she smiled softly, leaning against the blackboard just a bit.

"Alright, I'll do it. I'll fill in your place during the rally and the game. Just remember our deal, no smart ass comments, got it?"

"On one condition."

"Oh? This I have to hear."

"If you get a chance to make Bonnie look like an idiot again, do it."

Shego smirked at the wicked grin on Kim's face. Walking over to the younger woman, Shego leaned down and messed up Kim's hair, resting her forehead against Kim's, her voice soft.

"Count on it Princess. Now get out of here, class starts in ten minutes, and you can't be late."

Kim nodded and smiled, backing up from Shego and getting out of the chair at the desk. Shego watched Kim leave the room, her eyes soft as she looked at the younger woman. The moment the door to her room closed, Shego let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. Walking back to her desk and taking a seat, she pulled her lunch closer and tried to eat as much of it as she could before the bell rang. The voice in the back of her head was screaming at her, calling her an idiot for getting so close to Kim like she just did. Shego ignored it, after all, Kim's eyes lit up when Shego touched her, and that's all that mattered.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

The door to Shego's classroom closed behind Kim with a click and she looked at all the smirking faces of the cheer squad, staring at her. It was silent in the hallway for a long moment as Kim stared back at them, her eyebrow raised. She was hoping that, like with Shego, silence would eventually answer her question. It got to the point that the silence was unbearable however, and Kim started to growl softly.

"What?"

The other girls giggled and shook their heads, some of them walking away in opposite directions down the hall. Kim stood alone outside of Shego's class for a while, her eyes closed as she rubbed her forehead, then she heard it, the sound of a thousand whistles going off at once in her ear. Bonnie just couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"So Kim, is that why you're getting such a good grade in her class? You're sleeping with the teacher?"

Kim groaned, her eyes squeezing tighter together. She was about to speak when the door behind her opened and she almost fell back into Shego's arms before she managed to catch her balance. Opening her eyes slowly, she looked up at the older woman, her eyes pleading. Shego winked and turned to look at Bonnie.

"Oh hey there Bonnie, I didn't expect to see you here." Shego's hand rested on Kim's shoulder for a moment. "Kim, you left your jacket in the room, why don't you go get it while I talk to Bonnie."

Kim stared up at Shego for a long moment before nodding and walking past Shego into the class room. She didn't remember leaving a coat in the room, but then again she had been a little off since the injury, so it wasn't totally impossible. When Kim stepped into the room, the door swung shut silently while Kim looked around for any sign of a jacket. She looked for a while but didn't actually find anything, only for the silence to be broken by the loud cry of Bonnie's voice from outside.

"YOU BITCH!"

And then it was silent again, the sound of Bonnie's footsteps walking away echoing down the hall. Kim stared at the door for a moment before walking out into the hallway. Shego stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips, the smirk on her face dripping with triumph. Turning around, the older woman almost bumped into Kim. There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Kim opened her mouth to ask a question, only to be cut off by Shego.

"I'll give you details on the ride home, Pumpkin. All I'll say in public is that John is a wonderful person."

Kim stared at Shego for a long moment before shrugging and stepping aside. She'd ask again later, when there were no eavesdroppers. Kim watched as Shego walked into her classroom, whistling to herself. She seemed happy, and it made Kim smile. She loved to see Shego happy, for some odd reason it made her feel good.

"I'll see you at practice Ms. Go."

"Yes you will, now go get to class, before Mrs. Larkhart decides to flay someone alive."

Kim chuckled and walked down the hall to her locker, wondering what Shego had said to Bonnie the whole way there.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Shego was in top form that afternoon at cheer practice, her movements even more crisp and precise than the day before. It was beautiful to watch, at least for Kim it was. She sat on the bleachers, her eyes on the pale skinned woman twisting through the air after a back hand spring. Shego truly was a gymnast, and Kim envied her. Watching Shego however was just a reminder to Kim that she had to heal faster, so she could be back in that position. She missed the flips and the spins, but most of all she missed the fights. Not a lot of people knew that Kim's cheer routines were actually based on her fights with Shego, but the more she watched Shego spin in the air, the more she started to realize how much of a dance their fights had been.

Kim was barking critiques and minor alterations at the girls as they worked on perfecting the routine, and she watched it slowly become complete. To Kim's surprise, Bonnie hadn't shown up for practice to offer her usual jibes at the squad, and at Kim especially. It was refreshing and actually productive for once. Kim felt almost at home watching the squad, but her eyes always managed to find their way back to Shego. She also started to notice a few other things, like with the way the lighting was in the room, it made the slight beads of sweat on Shego's flat stomach glisten just enough to show the other woman's abs. Kim found herself blushing more than once.

They practiced for a solid hour before Kim clapped her hands and called for an end to it. They were close to perfect, but they would need a few extra days to get it perfect. Kim watched the girls pat each other on the back and head off to the showers, but Shego walked over to Kim and took a seat right beside her. Shego's breath was heavy, and she was sweating a bit, but Kim had never seen the older woman look so … lovely. Shego was even smiling, as if she was enjoying the practice, even after all of her protests.

Reaching into her bag, Shego pulled out a towel and started to dry off her arms and stomach, Kim's eyes on the other woman the whole time. An image flashed through Kim's mind of her helping Shego towel down. It made Kim blush again, and she had to keep from slapping herself at the absurd thoughts she was having. It was a moment like this when she really wished Ron had been around to run in and ruin her day.

"You're a slave driver Princess. No wonder all these girls are in such good shape, you work them hard."

"I ask only for the best Shego, which is why you're here."

Shego laughed a bit, her laugh a little breathless. Turning her head to look up at the younger woman, Shego's smile only seemed to grow wider. Reaching out, Shego patted Kim's thigh gently before turning back to the locker room where she had stored her clothes.

"I like this side of you. It's actually really fun to see you bossing people around."

"You've seen me boss Ron around before, that's not so different."

"It kind of is actually. See, with Ron you're giving orders to an idiot who sometimes gets lucky, but these girls … they're smart, and they pick up on what you say quickly and actually work well together. You could make a hero team out of them if you worked hard enough."

Kim laughed a bit, her eyes moving to the locker room, her mind racing just a bit. Her lips turned up in a smirk, her tone matching Shego's normally sarcastic voice.

"And what would we call ourselves? The Pom-Pom Squad?"

"It has a nice ring to it, though I was more thinking 'The Super Spirit Squad'. Sounds better, plus it has alliteration."

"Oh, you mean like Team Go?"

"Hey, our names had meaning behind them. You think I chose 'Shego' because it sounded cool? What about 'Hego' or 'Wego'? Sounds more like an ad-verb than an actual name."

Kim chuckled a bit, and Shego was smiling wide, even talking about her family. The sight made Kim even happier, her heart felt like it was soaring. She was having more fun talking to Shego like this than she ever had with Ron. It was a nice feeling, to be able to laugh and smile genuinely, and not just because she was trying to spare someone else's feelings.

"So you promised to tell me what you said to Bonnie. Are you gonna deliver?"

"Not in the gym Princess. I'm going to go get dressed; you head out to the car."

Kim nodded and started to gather up her things while Shego walked into the locker room to change. It took a while with her injured ribs to gather up some of her things and put them in her bag, but she managed to make it out to the car before Shego. She was waiting outside for a while, and it gave her time to think about everything. She had actually had a decent conversation with the woman that was supposedly her arch-nemesis, and had enjoyed it. Something was wrong there, but Kim wasn't about to question it, not when it had felt so right.

Shaking her head, Kim stared at the back door to the school, watching as Shego walked out, waving goodbye to a couple of the girls on the cheer squad. Smirking, Kim watched Shego walk over to the driver's side of the car, and she couldn't stop the comment from escaping her lips.

"I thought you hated being nice."

"Oh I do, but for some reason, the feeling is growing on me. I blame you, now shut up and get in the car."

Kim chuckled and opened the passenger side of the car, tossing her bag down in front of the seat and slowly climbing in. Shego waited for Kim to get settled in the seat before pulling out of the parking lot and starting to the drive home. It was silent for a while, and Kim was starting to worry that Shego would never tell her about the conversation that her and Bonnie had outside of the classroom at lunch. She was about to bring it up again, when once more she was cut off by Shego.

"I just called Bonnie a hypocrite is all."

Kim looked at Shego, her eyebrow raised in question, trying to figure out what Bonnie was such a hypocrite about. She was about to ask, but again it was as if Shego was reading her mind and answered before Kim could even voice the question.

"She's dating Mr. Perkins."

Kim's mouth dropped open as she stared at Shego for a long moment. She couldn't be serious, and even if she was, how had Shego found out. Then her comment from earlier that day about "John" came to mind and Kim had remembered seeing a kid wearing all black come walking out of Shego's class a moment before she had walked in with the cheer squad. Kim had seen him around before, but he was usually so quiet and asleep at lunch. Though Kim could remember that no one bothered him, or talked about him, ever, and even if they did, it was in hushed tones.

"So when Bonnie made that crack about you sleeping with the teacher, I just called her a hypocrite, and said that if she didn't leave you alone, I'd go to the faculty about their relationship. He'd lose his job, her family would get caught up in scandal, and she'd lose all credibility."

Kim stared at Shego for a very long moment in silence, her mouth closing. Instead of shock, anger was now her primary emotion. Shego had threatened the relationship and status of two people with such a casual grace that it made Kim furious. Kim was so close to yelling at the older woman when Shego read her mind again.

"Kim, you have to remember, I'm evil. I promised to take care of you and protect you, and I have a reputation to maintain. Besides, dealing with Bonnie this way was easier than taking her to Lowerton and leaving her bleeding in some back alley."

Shego glanced at the younger woman, frowning. Kim couldn't truly deny Shego's point, but it still made her angry. It was still no way to actually deal with the problem. But Bonnie did get put in her place, just like Kim had asked Shego to do. Groaning, Kim closed her eyes and felt her head hit the back of the passenger seat. Dealing with the older woman was frustrating, but Kim loved the frustration, even if she wouldn't admit it.


	6. Saturday Fitness, Round One

Disclaimer: Still don't own, still have no money

AN: I LOVE you guys for your reviews. FYI, John will come in later, but I'm not saying when or what he'll do. But I agree, he is a wonderful person, without whom this story would never happen.

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><p>Kim was staring up at her ceiling that night, laying on her bed and losing herself in thought. She had thought about calling Monique to talk about what had happened earlier that day, but discarded the thought rather quickly. Shego was really the only one she wanted to talk to, but Kim just couldn't think of anything to say to the older woman. It almost wasn't fair that the person she felt the most comfort talking to was also the same person that she should hate the most. Groaning, Kim tried to roll onto her side before the sharp pain in her ribs pierced into her and made her cry out lightly into the emptiness of her room.<p>

She lay still on the bed for a while, breathing heavily and recovering. Kim could hear Shego's music in the other room, and she could imagine Shego on the other side, lying in bed and grading papers. Rolling onto her back again, Kim returned her stare to the ceiling, her mind slowing down to a steady stream of thoughts that was much easier to process than before. Taking a deep breath, Kim sat up a bit in bed and was about to get up to go talk to Shego when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly and in walked Shego, her green eyes filled with concern as she looked at Kim. She only peeked her head through the door to look at the younger woman, hiding the rest of her body, almost like she was afraid to really step foot into Kim's room.

"I thought I heard something, you ok in here?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tried to sleep on my side is all. I'm honestly surprised you could hear anything through that noise you call music."

Shego didn't respond to the jab, she just nodded and kept an eye on Kim for a while, her face contorted into a frown. Kim gazed at the other woman for a long while in silence, trying to think of something else to say, but again nothing wanted to come to mind. Taking a deep breath, Kim closed her eyes for a moment and smiled a bit.

"Do you want to come in Shego?"

There was a long pause again as Shego stared at Kim. The other woman was acting distant, and it was odd. Kim couldn't remember a time when Shego had acted this distant towards her, they were usually at each other's throats verbally, if not always physically. Though these past few days the two of them had been very friendly, at least until today when Shego said she had practically blackmailed Bonnie. That had changed a couple of things; at least Kim thought it should have.

"I can't, I've got to finish grading papers. Besides, you should get some sleep; you've got to get up early in the morning."

That caught Kim off guard just a bit. Tomorrow was Saturday, a day to sleep in, go catch a movie or two with Monique, or even just sit around on the couch in her Pajama's and watch TV all day long. Why did she have to get up early? It didn't make a lot of sense.

"I'm sorry, what? I have to get up early?"

"Yeah, so do I. I'm starting your rehab first thing tomorrow morning."

Kim stared at Shego for a while longer, her eyes narrowed into a death glare. If there wasn't a reason to hate Shego before, there was now. But Shego's frown turned into a look of pure sadistic glee at the sight of glare, her eyes practically lighting up. The sight made Kim's heart melt just a bit and all the hatred drain from her. Then it really hit her why she was getting up early: Shego was trying to keep her promise. Like it or not, Kim had been sitting around for too long and needed to start getting back into shape before it was too late.

Shego patted the door, her grin still on her face as she looked into Kim's eyes, almost as if Shego could read her mind and knew exactly what was going on.

"Set your alarm Kimmie, we get up at 6 AM sharp. Goodnight."

Shego left, the door closing behind her. Kim glared at the wood for a while, imagining it were Shego being lit on fire. It was Saturday! She was supposed to relax on the weekends, not work her ass off. But Kim knew that she wouldn't ever get back into fighting shape by walking around her school during the week. Hell, most of the time she was sitting down. Sighing, Kim reached over to the bed stand and turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Grabbing the Kimmunicator, she programmed the alarm for 5:30, hoping to at least get a jump start on Shego.

Laying down on her back and pulling her blankets over her body, Kim closed her eyes, listening to the steady beat of Shego's music in the other room. She actually liked the music; she just called it "noise" to keep up appearances. If people knew that she wasn't really as peppy as she portrayed herself, then her school reputation would be ruined. But as Kim Possible drifted off to sleep, she realized that somewhere in the back of her mind, she didn't care what other people thought of her, only what Shego thought mattered.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

The alarm's buzzing was loud and right in Shego's ear. Groaning, she reached out and swatted at the alarm clock sitting on her nightstand until the sound cut off. Keeping her eyes closed for a while longer, Shego took a few deep breaths, trying to remember why exactly she had set her alarm for such a God forsaken hour. Yawning rather loudly, Shego stretched in her bed, her blankets falling off of her to expose her naked back. Tilting her head to the side to look at the clock, its bright red numbers glowing an un-Godly 5:45 AM.

Groaning, Shego's eyes shut tight again and she reached out to try and grab the blankets. She was about to go back to sleep again when she heard something behind her. It sounded like someone looking through her CD's. Growling loudly, her senses on full alert now, she felt her hand twist into a claw, the itch of her plasma about to ignite running through her arm. Sitting up and quickly spinning around, her plasma discharge ignited, lighting the room up in a green glow, illuminating the intruder. Kim was standing over her stereo, looking through her music collection.

"Do you mind if I borrow some of these?"

Shego's eyes went wide and she felt a bit of panic as her plasma disappeared. She was completely topless, and Kim was in her room. All it would take would be for Kim to turn around right then to see Shego and a lifetime of embarrassment thereafter. Looking around frantically, Shego grabbed the blanket that had fallen off of her body and pulled it up to hide her chest, her voice coming out strained with a slight stutter.

"Uh … sure, why not. What are you doing in here?"

"I woke up a while ago, and when you weren't up I came to see if you were still here."

What Shego couldn't see was the grin on Kim's face as she looked through the massive CD collection that her arch-nemesis had collected. It was partially true, she did come in to see if Shego was still in the house, but the other part was to prove to the older woman that Kim could be just as annoying as Shego. Though what she saw when she walked into the room had stopped her in her tracks. Even in the dim light of the room, Kim could see Shego's naked back and the muscles underneath as the other woman slept.

Kim had crept forward and run her fingertips along Shego's spine, having always wondered what the villainess had felt like under a gentle touch. She committed the soft feel of Shego's skin to memory, and was even tempted to lean down and trail butterfly kisses along the other woman's back, but she resisted and instead pulled the blankets over Shego's body to cover her up. Though that was about five minutes ago, and Kim had enough time to sort out how confused the whole situation had made her. Even after thinking it over, Kim couldn't really figure out what the hell had compelled her to do what she did.

"Well I'm still here Princess. Now take what you want, and kindly leave … I need to get dressed."

"Sure thing, you've got fifteen minutes though. Six sharp, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, now leave."

Kim smirked, and walked out of Shego's room, clutching some of the other woman's CD's in her hand. She had no idea what she was going to do with them just yet, but Kim was smart, she'd figure something out.

Once the door was closed, Shego let out a deep breath and let the blankets fall away from her chest. Her eyes were closed tight and she could feel herself breathing a bit heavily. It was one hell of a way to start a Saturday.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

It only took ten minutes for Shego to get dressed and help Kim down the stairs. The two women walked out of the house into the light fog of the outside world. The two took a moment to stretch and limber up before the real work began. Smiling, Shego turned to Kim and patted the other woman on the back, her voice a bit soft when she spoke.

"Alright, we're gonna walk to the High School. You ready?"

Kim nodded and the two were off. They were walking down the sidewalk at a steady pace, standing side by side. Kim found herself glancing over at Shego from time to time as if to make sure that the other woman was still there and hadn't slipped off into the fog of the morning. But every time she looked, Shego was still standing there, walking right beside her. It made Kim happy; at least someone was trying to help her get better. Ron was still nowhere to be seen. Wade had told her that taking over her hero duties had kept him busy, but it still would have been nice to see him once in a while.

Though again, Kim wasn't too disappointed with his disappearance. After all, every day that Ron wasn't around was another day that she got to spend alone with Shego. Those were always bright days. It was silent for a long time as they walked, Kim just enjoying the company and Shego trying to come up with some subject for them to discuss, though it wasn't too long before Kim found herself breathing heavily and needing a break. They found a bench near a park to sit down at and relax.

"Can you make it to the school Kim, or should we turn back here?"

"How long have we been walking?"

"About ten minutes."

"Then I'll be able to make it to the school."

Shego chuckled and stood up, holding her hand out to help Kim up from the bench. Kim took her hand gratefully and stood up, smiling at Shego. And again, they were off. The two women were about three blocks from Kim's house in ten minutes, and they still had a long way to go. Kim had almost forgotten how far away the high school was from her house, but the walk helped remind her, and along the way she had plenty of opportunities to thank God for helping man invent cars.

"So what did you borrow from my collection?"

Kim looked up at Shego, her eyebrow raised for a moment in question. It was a little out of the blue, and it took a while for Kim to realize what the other woman was talking about. Chuckling a bit and looking straight ahead again, Kim thought back to the morning.

"Umm … A Perfect Circle and We The Kings. To be honest, I'm surprised you have those two in the same selection, aren't they two totally different styles?"

"Yeah, but they're good. I don't really care about styles, as long as the band is good."

"We'll see, but I'll have to take your word on it."

"And you'll see I'm right."

Shego smirked and nudged Kim lightly while they walked, the two of them chuckling a bit. Kim didn't mind the conversation; it actually seemed to make the walk seem shorter.

"You're welcome to any of my music Kim; you needed to start learning about good music sooner or later."

"Hey, I listen to good music."

"Backstreet Boys and N*Sync do not count as 'good music'. Hell, they barely count as 'music'."

Kim caught Shego shiver a bit when she mentioned the boy bands, and Kim couldn't help but agree with her. The truth was that Kim had never liked those groups; she had only bought the CD's and listened to fit in with the other girls. Thinking about it now though, trying to fit in with the popular crowd seemed so stupid when all it lead to was dealing with people like Bonnie on a daily basis. Trying to maintain a social status in High School was hard work, and Kim was beginning to hate it.

The two walked in silence for a moment longer, the fog slowly clearing as the sun began to rise a bit more. They were pretty far from Kim's house by now, but only about half way to the school. Kim was breathing heavily, but Shego didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat. Kim felt a little jealous, but then she remembered that Shego had been through a lot more punishment than just a walk.

"Y'know, Middleton is kind of nice when it's just coming out of winter. I like it."

"I never really noticed before." Kim said truthfully, looking up at Shego as they walked across the street, smiling a bit. Kim had never really looked at her city before, she had always just viewed Middleton as the place she grew up and went to school in. It was home, but she had never really taken the time to look around at her surroundings. Then again, she wasn't a dangerous woman living in an island fortress with a half-mad villain for a boss. After dealing with Drakken and his island lair, anything had to be better.

"I think I may actually buy a house here or something. It's a lot quieter then Go City."

"Do you miss it?"

The question came out before Kim could stop herself from asking. She winced slightly the moment it left her lips, but she couldn't take it back now. She was about to apologize for asking when Shego laughed a bit.

"I do sometimes, but I can't really go back. Hego would find me and … well, I'd hate to have to kill my brother."

"Hego does seem to come on a bit strongly."

"He was always like that, never actually listening to anyone, always knowing just what was 'right and just'. He's got a gift for not seeing the obvious when it's right in front of him. I remember one time when we were kids; there was this group of bullies at the end of the block. Well, we stumbled across them picking on this one girl, Carol, and Hego was going to go stop them.

"So he goes running into the fray, like he's going to start fighting, and I'm running behind him ready to fight at his side, but instead of fighting he starts to give the kids a speech about how 'bullying is wrong' and 'how would it feel if you were getting picked on.'" Shego started to chuckle a bit, her eyes lighting up a bit as she spoke about the past, her lips twisted up in a smile. "Well, the bullies didn't like that too much, so they started to take swings at him, only Hego refused to fight back. He just kept standing there, talking the kids to death."

"Did they stop trying to hit him?"

"Oh sure, after I stepped in and knocked them around a bit. I had to walk home with him that day hearing a lecture about how 'violence doesn't solve anything.' The big dolt would have much rather been beaten to a pulp then raise a hand against his attackers."

"Seems like he's gotten over that. He didn't hesitate to attack Aviarius or Electronique."

"Well he had to get over it. But it didn't ever stop. Instead of his usual lecture during fights, he instead opted for one-liners. The lecture came later when the police showed up to arrest the villains."

Shego's smile lit up a bit more, her eyes shining just a bit. Kim just looked at the other woman in silence, basking in the glow that seemed to shine off of Shego as she talked about her brother. It was a little strange to see Shego in this light, but it made Kim's heart melt again. She loved to see Shego like this, and it felt like Kim was getting closer to the older woman, just like she wanted.

"You don't sound like someone who hates her family, Shego."

"Oh I never said I hated them, just that they drive me insane, especially Hego and Mego."

"My brothers drive me insane too, though I can't imagine working with them."

"Remind me never to put Wego in the same room as your brothers Kim, the world would explode."

"Noted."

The two laughed a bit, Kim holding her side a bit as she felt a bit of pain roll up her side. They were about two blocks away from the school now, and Kim was starting to breathe heavily, the pain in her side almost like a knife in her lung. She needed a break, and Shego seemed to sense that. The older woman led Kim over to a bench in front of a coffee shop and the two had a seat next to each other. Kim took the time to gather her strength and even out her breathing. They sat in silence, Shego staring off into the distance while Kim rested.

When Kim looked at her companion though, she could have sworn she saw a bit of sadness in Shego's green eyes. The sadness made Kim feel a sort of pain she had never felt before, almost like an aching, a need to make Shego feel better. It made her shake her head, and Kim had to remind herself that Shego was a villain, that she was evil. Though Kim could slowly feel herself no longer caring about that factor at all, she just wanted Shego. Shaking her head again, Kim had to resist the urge to slap herself, her inner voice screaming at her.

They rested for about five minutes before Shego stood up and helped Kim to her feet. They started the walk towards the school again in silence, Kim fighting with her emotions and her confusion the whole way. It wasn't too long before they reached the school, Kim and Shego standing outside of the doors in silence. Kim was breathing heavily, her hand still gripping her ribs, her legs aching from the walk. But when Shego turned to look at her, Kim seemed to find some new source of energy to draw on. She stood up straight, fighting against the pain and the urge to beg and plead to go back home. Kim Possible was not going to quit early.

"Ready for round two of our weekend fitness?"


	7. Saturday Fitness, Round Two

A/N: Holy Hell it's been a while. I'm SOOOOO sorry this took forever to upload. I don't feel like it's my best chapter, but that's what happens when you stop working on a story for a while, you lose the groove. I'm going to try and get back into it. I promise. I apologize for the mediocre chapter, but I still hope you all enjoy. I'm sorry for my absence, but start expecting more updates soon. Now, without further ado, and no more gilding the lily, I'll let you read.

Disclaimer: Blah blah, no owning the characters and stuff. If Disney sues me, I'm screwed.

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><p>Kim stared up at the school building, her hand clutching her side just below her ribs. She was trying to catch her breath, though it wasn't easy. Normally, she would have been able to take the walk without issue, but her broken ribs made life more difficult than she thought it would. As much as she hated to admit it, and as much as she needed a break, to stop for the day and rest, Shego was right about one thing: Kim wasn't going to get better lying around the house not doing anything. Part of her was scared of what Shego had planned for her inside, but another part was curious, and even excited. She needed to do this; it was the only way for her to get her life back to normal.<p>

Taking a deep breath, Kim kept staring at the entrance to the school building. She could feel Shego's stare on the side of her head, it felt like the other woman was burning a hole into her head. Turning her head to look at Shego, Kim nodded and put on a brave smile. If she was going to truly get better, she had to work for it, and not only work for it, but convince Shego that she wasn't terrified of whatever burning pain she'd end up having during the process.

"Round two? No problem. Let's get this started Shego."

Shego smirked and started the walk up to the front door, pulling out a ring of keys from her pocket. Kim took a few moments to follow, catching her breath before she moved. By the time Kim had recovered enough to move, Shego was holding the door open for her. Kim thanked her for the courtesy and walked through the empty halls of the school with her "teacher".

It was a little more than eerie walking through the school when no one was around. After spending so much time in the school with the students crowding the halls, the pure silence was unnerving. Kim was so used to the school being filled with people and noise; she could even see some of the ghostly outlines of people walking around her. More than once her head turned to follow someone that she thought she saw or heard.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Kim tried to focus and prepare herself for whatever may be coming her way for "round two".

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Shego kept her gaze straight as she walked down the halls of the school. She had the day planned for the two of them, with a lot of emphasis on building up Kim's already strong legs. She was especially looking forward to the next part of the fitness, and it didn't help that Shego had been having dreams of it for the past few days as she planned it out. She counted her blessings the school had an indoor pool, and that they could have the building all to themselves on the weekends. Smirking, Shego stopped just outside of the door to the school's pool and turned to look at Kim, her smirk still on her face.

"Alright Princess, round two starts right after you get changed."

Kim raised an eyebrow at Shego, wondering what the other woman could have possibly meant by getting changed. Changed into what? What did Shego have planned? It took Kim a long moment to realize that they were standing outside of the entrance to the pool. She was about to run away, but something rooted her feet to the floor. Putting on her brave smile again, Kim forced herself to take a step forward.

Shego opened the door for Kim again, holding it open so the younger woman could walk through. As she watched Kim walk into the room, Shego had to convince herself that this was not just because she wanted to see Kim in a bathing suit. It was mostly that, but it was also because the water resistance would help Kim get her strength and speed back. And it was also payback for making Shego dress up in the cheerleading uniform. In Shego's mind, she was winning every battle here, even if she had to get into a bathing suit to work with Kim.

Walking in behind the younger woman, Shego didn't hesitate to start her strut towards the changing rooms. She had planned ahead and bought two bathing suits for Kim and her. Kim was taking her time following, each footstep slightly nervous, and Shego had to make sure that the heroine was actually following a few times.

The truth was Kim was nervous not because of whatever cruelty Shego had planned, she was nervous about Shego seeing her body. It was a stupid thing to be scared of, but for some reason, Kim was terrified. It was ridiculous to be scared of Shego seeing her in a swimsuit, Shego had seen Kim in far less before, but those moments had been short. She hadn't had time to think about being self-conscious until after Shego had disappeared.

It took a while for Kim to get changed, and by the time she was finished, Shego was already in the pool, floating on her back and waiting for the younger woman. Kim walked out of the changing room slowly, one arm wrapped around her torso as if to try and hide the small scars on her chest. It wasn't working very well, at least Kim that's what Kim thought. At least it wasn't a bikini, then Kim really would have died.

Clearing her throat, Shego moved a bit in the water, standing in the shallow end and looking at Kim with a smile on her face. The young woman looked gorgeous in her body hugging swim suit. But Shego knew she would, Kim could wear a burlap sack and still look like a runway model. Just for that thought, Shego's inner voice screamed at her, but Shego ignored it. Well, she ignored it as best she could; it wasn't easy when that voice was all she had listened to for most of her life.

"You look great, now get in the water."

Shego started to walk over to the edge of the pool, intending to help Kim into the water so that the younger woman didn't over-exert herself. Easing Kim into the pool was easy, and it almost made Shego a little afraid at how light the younger woman was. The memory of Kim flying back into the bookshelf came back into her mind and Shego had to shake her head to get rid of it. The two walked through the water to the center of the pool, Kim already breathing a little heavily from the water resistance.

Shego half walked, half floated to stand in front of Kim. She noticed Kim was shivering a bit, and couldn't help but admit to herself that the water was a little cold. But they had to work through that, and standing still was not going to help with Kim's recovery, or warmth.

"Alright, we're going to walk around the edge of the pool a few times. Have you ever practiced any sort of Martial Arts?"

Kim shook her head, her voice a little shaky from the cold when she spoke.

"A bit of Tae-Kwon Do but nothing serious, why?"

"We're going to be doing a bit of sparring while we walk."

There was no mistaking the glee in Shego's face when she spoke. Kim felt herself shiver again, and not just from the cold water. The last time the two of them had fought, Kim ended up in the hospital. She was in no hurry to fight the older woman again, though it didn't seem like she had much of a choice in the matter. Taking a deep breath, Kim headed towards the edge of the pool, Shego by her side. It wasn't a long walk, but Kim would have preferred to swim, though it wasn't an option with her broken ribs.

Shego moved to stand in front of Kim again, smiling and raising her hands up from the water. Kim did the same, matching the other woman's posture. The two women stood that way for a while, each of them getting settled into their stances as they gazed at each other. Kim was nervous, and was not looking forward to actually sparring with Shego again, but it would help make her skills sharp after her long period of absence. Taking a deep breath, Kim decided she would be the one to start.

Her punch was fast, and she overextended her arm just a bit, but it was enough to make her yell in pain. Shego easily deflected the punch and caught Kim as the younger woman tried to double over in the water. Shego's eyes were filled with concern as she gazed down at the younger woman, her arms wrapped around Kim's waist.

Kim was breathing heavily, her eyes closed in a grimace of pain, one of her hands gripping her side as she tried to regain her senses. Apparently, Kim's broken ribs hated the idea of her getting any better, but she had always known that recovery wouldn't be an instant snap of the fingers. She had seen kids with casts on their arms and legs that stayed there for months and those were bones that didn't protect vital organs. Raising her hand, Kim waved Shego off of her, determined to stand on her own even if it was painful.

Shego backed up from Kim, but still kept close enough to catch the young woman in case she fell. With a groan, Kim stood up straight, her breathing slowing just a bit but she still looked like she was in pain. Shego was about to call off the day when she saw Kim straighten up and raise her hands, ready to continue. The older woman couldn't help but let a soft smile cross her face; she saw a lot of herself in Kim.

Raising her hands up, Shego stepped forward and threw a slow, but accurate punch in Kim's direction. The young woman countered with the same speed, stepping forward and returning the attack, her movement this time was slower, and easier paced. Shego stepped backwards, allowing Kim to push her back along the edge of the pool. The two of them moved slowly through the water, but Kim was amazed at how graceful Shego seemed to be. During their previous fights, Kim had never really been able to pay attention to how the other woman moved, she was always more concerned with dodging the attacks.

But now, it was different. They were taking their time, their movements slow, and Kim was able to see just how beautiful Shego looked in the water, and just how well trained her movements were. Kim was impressed, and at the same time so very thankful that Shego was the one that was taking care of her and bringing her back to full health.

It took only one circuit around the edge of the pool before Kim was breathing heavily from the exertion. The water resistance on her legs straining her more than she was used to combined with the added motion of her arms. It was enough to make her attacks sloppy after a while, and Shego recognized it. With one last punch, Shego caught Kim's hand easily and held up her free hand in a sign to pause, Kim was more than happy to accept.

"Let's take a break for a bit, you need to rest."

Kim nodded and leaned back against the edge of the pool. Shego lifted herself up out of the water and sat down on the edge, her feet hanging into the water as she looked down at Kim, a smile on her face. The Villainess had to admit that Kim was doing rather well, even if she was injured. Kim would make a full recovery soon, Shego knew that. She also knew that once Kim was back to full, Shego wouldn't have a reason to stick around, and she'd have to leave, go back to her life of crime. It made her heart sink into her stomach, but the older woman wasn't going to be focusing on that too much. Right now what mattered was Kim, and she was going to lose herself in the task of getting Kim healthy again, even if that meant falling even more in love with the young woman.

XXxxxXXXxxxXX

Kim was breathing a bit heavily, leaning back against the edge of the pool and trying to ignore the pain in her legs. She had never actually had to move through water like this, but she could figure the benefits. The water resistance was tough, but Kim liked to think that if anything was too easy, it wasn't worth doing. She could hear the water next to her moving and it comforted her, a reminder that Shego was right beside her. Opening her eyes, Kim looked up at the older woman to say something, but her mouth just hung open, the words stuck in her throat.

The young heroine had seen Shego before in a similar state after cheer practice, her body glistening with sweat, but what she saw now was even more … beautiful. Shego's body was wet, her hair hanging down loosely from her back, droplets of water slowly running down the pale flesh of the older woman's legs, chest and arms. Kim hadn't noticed it before, but now it seemed as if the bathing suit that Shego was wearing had tightened a bit in the water, and Kim found her eyes wandering down the curves of Shego's body.

She stared for a long time before the other woman's voice shook her out of her own, muddled day dreams.

"Take a picture Princess, it'll last longer."

Kim's eyes moved up to see the smirk on Shego's face before blushing and looking away. She muttered something that she couldn't quite make out. It was silent for a moment before she heard the sound of Shego's body sliding into the water. Turning her head to face the other woman, Kim raised her hands, ready to continue. Shego did the same, readying herself for their circuit. It was easy to fall back into the fluid tempo of before, trading off slow, easy blows back and forth. Shego changed up the tempo a bit every now and then by pushing forward and forcing Kim backwards, but they would trade off like that for a while.

Kim's breathing started to get heavier a lot quicker now than it had during their first circuit, and half way around the pool the redhead signaled that she needed to stop. Shego nodded and leaned up against the side of the pool next to Kim, the young heroine breathing a bit heavily as she tried to relax and regain her breath. Leaning on her side a bit, Shego reached a hand out and rested it on Kim's shoulder, her face not hiding her concern.

"Can you go the rest of the circuit or should we stop?"

Kim shook her head, grimacing as her hand comes to rest on her ribcage, her eyes narrowed in determination as she turns to look at Shego.

"No, I'm fine. I can do this." Kim stares into Shego's eyes, full of passion. The sight sent a shiver down the villainess' spine, it sparked something in her that she had been fighting for the past few days. It sparked a feeling of desire of the non-pure kind. Every fiber of Shego's being was on fire and the need to pull the young redhead close and into a passionate embrace. But she resisted, she didn't want to make this awkward, well, more awkward than the situation already was.

So instead, Shego just smiled and nodded, reaching out a hand to rest on Kim's shoulders, giving a gentle squeeze before moving back in the water and raising her arms, ready to continue. Kim took a few more moments to herself to catch her breath and get ready to finish off the round. Pushing off of the side of the pool, Kim took a few slow steps forward before raising her hands and gritting her teeth, steeling herself to not feel the pain in her body. And then the two women were off again.

This time they were moving a bit faster, Kim being the one to lead the pace now. She was pushing Shego back slowly, but the older woman had to wonder if the heroine was pushing herself a bit too hard. One way or another though, Kim was going to feel this all tomorrow, but Shego didn't tell her to slow down. She didn't say that they would be doing this all weekend long, she wanted the lesson for Kim to learn here be that she needs to conserve her strength so she doesn't end up overexerting herself. The redhead would learn that lesson the hard way.

They were three-quarters of the way done when Shego noticed Kim's breathing being labored, her pace slowing, her attacks getting sloppy, but she kept pushing. Shego had to admire the other woman's drive, she was fighting through the pain, fighting to get better. Glancing back over her shoulder after deflecting a blow from the younger woman, Shego checked how long they had before they made the full circuit and then quickly turned her attention back to the other woman, hastily parrying a strike that was meant for the back of her head.

By the time they reached the full circuit, Kim was breathing heavily, panting almost, the parts of her body not wet with pool water were wet with sweat, her hands grasping the sides of the pool tightly. Kim was bent over a bit, her eyes closed and her face in an expression of pain, between panting breaths the young redhead would let out little groans and whimpers. Shego came up behind Kim and rested her hand on the other woman's back, gently caressing Kim's body as the villainess leaned down a bit to look at Kim's face.

"Slow breaths Princess, if you keep breathing that heavily you're going to end up hyperventilating."

Kim nodded a bit before arching her back a bit and standing up a bit taller, taking in one long, deep breath and grimacing a bit once she inhaled fully before letting it out. Shego rubbed the heroine's back slowly, watching in silence. Kim took a few more breaths before opening her eyes and looking over at her training partner, a shy smile on her face.

"Thanks, Shego."

"For what?"

"For being here. I wouldn't have been able to do this on my own."

"I made you a promise Kim. I keep my promises." Shego grinned and reached up to ruffle the other woman's wet hair before turning and lifting herself up out of the pool. Bending down a bit and holding out her hands to help Kim out of the pool, Shego couldn't help but get a view down the front of Kim's swimsuit. It was a stolen glance that made Shego immediately regret it, but it was too late to take back now, so the villainess instead committed the sight to memory for later. Shego had to remind herself that she was supposed to be evil, and even if this was in the vein of petty crime, it was still pretty evil.

If only she knew that Kim had also a stolen a long look at Shego when the older woman climbed out of the water. Kim watched the water drip from Shego's body, memorizing the way she glistened in the dim light and even the way that the water dripped down her figure. Kim was enthralled, her eyes opening a bit wider at the sight. She had already known that Shego was gorgeous, but now she was seeing the older woman in a new light. A shiver ran down Kim's spine before she shook herself out of her thoughts and reached up to take the offer of help from Shego.

Pulling Kim out of the water as gently as possible, Shego helped the younger woman steady herself on the ground. Kim shook a little bit, leaning back and forth, trying to regain her balance. It was an odd sensation, leaving the pool after moving around in it for so long. There was an odd sensation of vertigo due to the easier weight of oxygen then having to deal with the water of the pool constantly resisting your motions. After Kim managed to get her footing back, she found it a lot easier to move, and that she was moving a bit faster. Her muscles had gotten used to tensing and pushing themselves to the limit in the water, so it took a bit of time to calm down her body so she wasn't moving around the pool in super-speed.

Once Shego was certain that Kim had gotten her footing and wouldn't fall into the pool again, the two parted ways and headed into different changing rooms to get back into their clothes that they had been in on the walk to the school. While in her changing room, Kim leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, collecting her thoughts, trying her hardest to not remember the way that Shego's body glistened as she came out of the pool.


End file.
